Free school meals
Children are entitled to free school meals if their family receives:
•income support (IS), income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) or income-related employment and support allowance (ESA);
•UC, child tax credit (CTC) or both CTC and working tax credit (WTC) if their annual income is below a threshold.
Also entitled are 16–18-year-olds who receive the above benefits and tax credits in their own right, and asylum seekers in receipt of asylum support.
In addition, in Scotland, free school meals are provided to all children during the first five years of primary school. Also all children in early learning and childcare can get a free meal on the days that they go in. The Scottish government has pledged to expand free school meals to all Primary 6 and 7 children in receipt of Scottish child payment at some point during 2024 to 2025.