• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

During the period of Transitional Protection (put in place during the roll out of Universal Credit), the following pupils were protected against losing their free school meals as follows:  

• From 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants will continue to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This will apply even if their earnings rise above the new threshold during that time.
• In addition, any child gaining eligibility for free school meals after 1 April 2018 will be protected against losing free school meals during the Universal Credit roll-out period.
• Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, any existing claimants that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point (because they are earning above the threshold or are no longer a recipient of Universal Credit) will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (i.e. primary or secondary).

There have been changes to eligibility for Free School Meals - please check if this affects you:

The Department for Education (DfE) has now published guidelines relating to free school meals and Transitional Protection. In the absence of updated information, Surrey County Council were advised by the Eligibility Checking Service (ECS) that Transitional Protection ended on 31 March 2025 as per the DfE guidance published in March 2024. Updated guidance from the DfE (5 June 2025) states:

• Transitional Protection has been extended until the end of the 2025/26 academic year.
• This means that any student who has become eligible for free school meals on or after 1 April 2018 should continue to receive free school meals until at least July 2026, regardless of changes in income and benefit status.
• From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, Transitional Protection will be discontinued. At that point, new eligibility criteria will apply.
• From September 2026, all children from households receiving Universal Credit will be automatically eligible to free school meals, removing the current income threshold of £7,400.

A student is only eligible to receive a free school meal when a claim for the meal has been made on their behalf, and their eligibility has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority. 

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they will be entitled to breakfast and lunch, as detailed below:

Breakfast (8:15-8:40am) – 1 breakfast item

Lunch (1:25-1:55pm) - 2 items consisting of a main meal (hot or cold) plus a drink OR dessert (both items to be taken to the till at the same time)

Food items are not available on the Free School Meals scheme at breaktime (11.05-11.25am).  If your child requires a snack at break, they should bring one in or use their cashless catering account.

Should you have any enquiries relating to Free School Meals, please email   office@esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk. 

The application form for Free School Meals can be downloaded from this page as a "Word" version of the form to enable you to complete the form online and email it back to us.