Free School Meals

You can apply through https://www.stockport.gov.uk/free-school-meals or you can use the new link, below:

Free school meal eligibility is changing from September 2026.

From September 2026 all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit attending a maintained school in Stockport will be entitled to receive a free meal.

There will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:

● targeted free school meals

● expanded free school meals

Who can get targeted free school meals

You can get targeted free school meals if you're responsible for a child (for example, you receive Child Benefit for them) who is at school. That includes nursery children who attend full days at a school nursery and sixth form students. You must also get one of these qualifying incomes:

● Universal Credit (provided your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including any benefits you get)

● support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

● the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

Who can get expanded free school meals

You can get expanded free school meals if you receive Universal Credit and are responsible for a child (for example, you receive Child Benefit for them) who is at school. That includes nursery children who attend full days at a school nursery and sixth form students.

This is a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted free school meals but who are in households receiving Universal Credit without the income threshold applying.

If you think you may be eligible you can apply using this link - https://www.stockport.gov.uk/start/free-school-meals-application-form

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, transitional protection for free school meals will end. Households must meet the free school meal eligibility criteria from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year to continue receiving free school meals. All pupils will have their eligibility re-checked during summer 2026.

Going forward, free school meal eligibility will be monitored on an ongoing basis through regular rechecks.