Free school meals and other benefits

• Your child may be entitled to a free school meal if they attend before and after lunch on the same day at a maintained school, maintained nursery school, academy or free school. You will also need to meet eligibility criteria. Speak to your nursery before completing an application form.
• School milk in nursery – children do get a free choice of whole milk or semi-skimmed, funded by the NHS.
• Healthy Start scheme – find out if you're eligible for food and milk vouchers, and free vitamins for under 4s.

All children can get a free lunch at school if they're in reception class, year 1 or year 2.

If you register, your school could get extra funding called 'Pupil Premium' to pay for additional staff time, extra computers, books and trips for students.

• School milk in reception, year 1 and year 2 – schools provide free milk for all children up until their 5th birthday. If it's during the term, they won't get free milk from that term onwards.
• After their 5th birthday, only children on targeted free school meals get free milk.

Free school meals

Eligibility for free school meals changed in September 2026.

• Targeted free school meals – covers pupils in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less.
• Expanded free school meals – covering pupils in households receiving Universal Credit but with a household income of more than £7,400.

Your child can get a free school meal if you receive any of the following:

• Universal Credit
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Pupils eligible under the no recourse to public funds criteria can also get a free school meal.

Schools receive additional funding and the pupil may be entitled to other benefits if they receive targeted free school meals.

If you receive Universal Credit but your household income is more than £7,400, your child can get a free school meal only. This is called expanded free school meals.

Apply today if you receive any of these benefits. It takes 5 minutes and, in most cases, we can tell you straightaway if your child can get free meals at school.

Your school will be able to support you with making an application and seeing what you could be eligible for.

• School milk in year 3 or above – children entitled to targeted free school meals can also get free milk. Contact your school for more information.

Help with music lesson fees

Students living or attending school in Hertfordshire may be able to get financial support for instrument or vocal lessons by applying directly to Hertfordshire Music Service.

Visit Hertfordshire Music Service for details and how to apply.

You're entitled to this extra help if you're eligible for free school meals or if you get:

• Child Tax Credit, payable at a higher rate than the family element (more than £547.50)
• Working Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Support (not including second adult rebate)
• Universal Credit with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 (for 100% music help) or £15,000 (for 50% music help) after tax and not including any benefits you get.