Free School Meals

Is my child eligible?

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals if they go to school. This is called universal infant free school meals. This is different to benefit-related free school meals and you do not have to apply, but if you receive one of the benefits listed below, you should still register below. This is because it can help raise extra funds for your child’s school (called Pupil Premium). This Government funding can help with extra tuition, teaching and after school activities.

If your child is in Year 3 or above, you must receive one of the following to get benefit-related free school meals:

  • Universal Credit – with an annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
  • Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190

You must apply for these free school meals.

Apply for free school meals

You can apply online for free school meals using your Norfolk Education Online (NEO) account. You can use the same account for 2-year-old childcare funding and school admissions.

Please click here to find out more information and the application forms.

Children of foreign nationals

Families with British National (Overseas) status and families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) are entitled to apply for free school meals by completing the NRPF free school meals application. 

Apply for NRPF free school meals. (Word doc) [52KB]