Free school meals

Your secondary school child may be able to get free school meals during term time.

Benefits-related free school meals

Your child may be able to get benefits-related free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• asylum support
• guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for it)
• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Starting a new school

You need to apply if:

• you get a qualifying benefit
• your child is not already registered at a school

To apply:

• contact your child's school for an application form (this may be called a 'pupil premium application form')
• complete and return it to the school
• the school will let you know the outcome

Our free healthy secondary school meals scheme

Some secondary pupils can still get free school meal if both of the following apply. You:

• do not qualify for the benefits-related free school meals

• get Universal Credit but are over the £7,400 household income threshold

Your child will also need to be:

• in year 7 to 13
• at a Southwark school

How it works

Children will get a daily lunch meal allowance using a cashless payment system which will be explained by the school.

This system means your child will not be identifiable at the till or in the dining room.

They can only use the allowance for food provided by the school at lunchtime. It cannot be used in morning or afternoon breaks.

Unspent allowance balances are not carried forward.