Free School Meals

You can claim free school lunches for your children if you are receiving:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Universal Credit (where your monthly earned income is not more than £610)
  • Income Support
  • income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
  • income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £16,105
  • both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit and an income of up to £6,900

If you are not getting benefits or tax credits your child might still get a free school meal if you’re experiencing financial hardship. This could be because:

  • your immigration status means you can not get help from the government
  • you’re still waiting on your first Universal Credit notice

If your child is in Nursery, they may also be entitled to free school meals.  Your child can get a free lunch in early learning and childcare if you get any of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit (if your monthly earned income is not more than £610 a month)
  • Income Support
  • income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
  • income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Pension Credit

Your child can also get a free lunch if at any point since they were aged 2 they’ve been:

  • looked after
  • had a Kinship Care Order
  • had a Guardianship Order

You can apply online here  https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/food-clothing/free-school-meals-school-clothing-grants or print the attached form and send to the address on the top of the form. FSM Application Form