If your child qualifies and their school is in Trafford, contact the school directly to apply for free school meals.
If the free school meals checking system says you’re not eligible and you want to challenge this, you can ask your school to do a manual check.
This usually means giving them physical proof, such as:
- a Universal Credit statement
- evidence of your immigration status
Schools outside Trafford
If your child's school is outside Trafford, their free school meals will be dealt with by the local authority of the school they attend.
You can find more information about how to apply on GOV.UK.
Eligibility for free school meals
Your child may qualify for free school meals if you have any of these incomes:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- The guaranteed part of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (as long as your annual gross income is £16,190 or less and you don’t get Working Tax Credit)
- Working Tax Credit run-off after you come off Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit you applied for on or after 1 April 2018. As long as your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax, not including any benefits
Children who receive these benefits themselves, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also qualify for free school meals.
Your child may qualify if you are an asylum seeker.
Children who are younger than the compulsory age for starting school but in full-time education can also get free school meals.
Free school meals in the holidays
You may also be eligible for free school meals during the holidays. Read more about this scheme.
Infant free school meals
All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can get free school meals, whatever the income of their parent or guardian.
If you do have one of the qualifying incomes listed previously, please tell the school. They may be able to get extra funding for other students.