Applying for the free school meals holiday award

We want to help support families over the school holiday period.

If you are entitled to free school meals during term time, or have an entitlement to Council Tax Support, and have a child under the legal school age you can apply for a Free School Meal Holiday Payment.

How to apply

Before the application window opens you will receive an email directly from your child’s school with the link to apply. You must apply during the application window, see below for application window dates.

Before you start

Before you start, you will need:

• Your personal details including your National Insurance number
• Details of anyone living with you
• On your application form ensure you include all the children in your household aged 18 and under who you receive child benefit for.

Application deadlines 

You can only apply for this help for the below school holidays. The application window will be open for two weeks prior to the school holidays starting as follows:

Application process

As part of the application process, the following will take place:

• we will check your details against the Eligibility Checking Service to confirm your entitlement to free school meals.
• we will check your details against information held by us to confirm your entitlement to Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support.
• we will ask for evidence if there are discrepancies in the information you provide which could delay or stop a payment being made.
• if you do not wish for your details to be checked against this service, do not continue with this application.

The application window is now closed.