Free School Meals
Can I apply for free school meals?
You can apply for school meals if you receive:
- Income Support
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit with an annual income of less than £16,190, provided they are not receiving Working Tax Credit
- the ‘Guaranteed’ element of the State Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Universal Credit with an annual net earned income threshold of less than £7,400
If you are an Asylum Seeker, you will need to apply directly to the school or contact the Access Team.
How to apply
You can apply online.
We can tell you straight away if you qualify. Please note, you may not be able to apply online if you fall into these categories:
- if your child attends a school outside the Bradford area - apply to the local authority where the school is
- if your child goes to Appleton Academy, Bradford Academy, Oasis Academy, St John's CofE Primary or a further education college - contact the school to apply
School meals are free for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - why do I still need to apply?
All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 get free school meals, but if you receive one of the benefits from the list above you may also get help with:
- the cost of residential school trips (speak to your school about this)
- travel costs to school
- school uniform costs (speak to your school about this)
- music lessons at school (please contact your child's school for information)
For each child registered for free school meals, schools receive a pupil premium of £1,455 (Primary schools) or £1,035 (Secondary schools) per year. This money is to help your child achieve their best at school.
What if my circumstances change?
If your circumstances change or your child changes school you need to tell us as your entitlement may change.