skip to main content
   Listen and Translate
Mae'r wefan hon ar gael yn y Gymraeg
Dewis
Health and Wellbeing
A Health and Well-being Wales Partner

Free school meals - information for parents and carers

Last updated: 03/04/2024
Something else This resource can use the Welsh language
Leave comments/feedback for this resource

What we do

We all need a little help from time to time, and with the rising costs of living many people in Wales need help now.

The Welsh Government is doing everything it can to put money back into people's pockets.

Free school meals are available to eligible children who attend a maintained school in Wales. Universal primary free school meals are currently being rolled out across Wales, starting with the youngest learners in our primary schools.

Check if your child can get free school meals and find out how to apply on your local authority’s website.

#HereToHelp

Who do we support

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit (as long as you don't also get Working Tax Credit and your annual income is £16,190 or less before tax)
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax
The local authority where a learner goes to school (not where they live) is responsible for:

providing the free school meal
assessing the eligibility

Free school meal legislation allows foster parents to claim free school meals. As long as a parent is eligible to claim free school meals, the child can get them. A child could potentially have four parents; two foster parents and two natural parents.

Is there a charge to use this service?

No

Where do we provide our service?

We will take reasonable steps to ensure the information within the website is as accurate as possible. We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of this information. The contributors themselves maintain their own information and they welcome feedback about the accuracy of the information they provide. Those accessing it are advised to take reasonable steps to consider its content before acting upon it. This could include seeking professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information within our website.

Please note that the results found when searching in English or Welsh on the English and Welsh sides of the website (www.dewis.wales or www.dewis.cymru) will sometimes differ. Providers can (subject to rules around language standards that apply to some provision) choose to enter their information in English only, in Welsh only, or bilingually. Whilst we try to use the technology within the site to limit the impact of their choice, both terminology and the structure of the languages mean that differences in the results produced is sometimes inevitable.

We assume no responsibility for the content of websites linked on our site. Such links are provided for your information only and should not be interpreted as endorsement by us of those linked websites. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources. We reserve the right to reject or remove links to any website if we find the site content inappropriate.

For more information please refer to the full terms and conditions.

Find more well-being information at www.dewis.wales

We will take reasonable steps to ensure the information within the website is as accurate as possible. We cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of this information. The contributors themselves maintain their own information and they welcome feedback about the accuracy of the information they provide. Those accessing it are advised to take reasonable steps to consider its content before acting upon it. This could include seeking professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the information within our website.

Please note that the results found when searching in English or Welsh on the English and Welsh sides of the website (www.dewis.wales or www.dewis.cymru) will sometimes differ. Providers can (subject to rules around language standards that apply to some provision) choose to enter their information in English only, in Welsh only, or bilingually. Whilst we try to use the technology within the site to limit the impact of their choice, both terminology and the structure of the languages mean that differences in the results produced is sometimes inevitable.

We assume no responsibility for the content of websites linked on our site. Such links are provided for your information only and should not be interpreted as endorsement by us of those linked websites. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources. We reserve the right to reject or remove links to any website if we find the site content inappropriate.

For more information please refer to the full terms and conditions.