Your child will qualify for free school meals if you meet all the following criteria:

• you or your partner receive Child Benefit (for the child you are applying for)
• the child is in full-time education, under 19 years of age
• the child attends a local authority school or sixth form (but not a sixth-form college). If your child attends nursery, attendance must be full time and your child must attend before and after lunch in a nursery run by Gateshead Council

In addition, you and your partner must receive one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA - IB)
• Guarantee Pension Credit
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related)
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (see section 'Families with no recourse to public funds' for information)
• Universal Credit - with a net earned family income of less than £7,400

Receipt of one of the above benefits will be checked with the relevant government departments (HMRC, DWP and Home Office) - this may be done via the Eligibility Checking Service. By signing the declaration on the application form, you are giving your consent for us to check your eligibility through this service.

If you have claimed Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support we will automatically assess eligibility to free school meals. Once eligibility is confirmed and free school meals awarded, we will notify yourself and your child(ren)'s school.

Or you can apply by telephone or online for free school meals on the basis of your income if you meet the eligibility criteria below. If your application is successful, the school(s) that your child(ren) attend will be informed and will be awarded additional funding. 

If you are applying for free school meals for your child starting Reception in September - do not apply until after the summer term finishes in July.

If your child attends a Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust (BWCET) school, you will need to contact the school direct to apply for free school meals. We do not administer free school meals for any BWCET schools from 1 April 2026.

Gateshead Council does not administer free school meals for Heworth Grange School or St Aidans school either. If your child(ren) attends one of these schools please contact the school direct to apply for free school meals.

Apply for free school meals

Any data collected as part of this application will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and used in accordance with the council's data use principles.

Further details can be found on our data protection page

The government has extended free school meal eligibility to include some families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) who receive support under Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 part VI. Families who may be eligible include (but are not limited to):

• Zambrano carers
• families with the right to remain in the UK under Article 8 of the ECHR
• families receiving support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 and subject to a NRPF condition
• Chen carers
• families holding a BNO passport
• spousal visa holders
• work visa holders
• student visa holders
• families with no immigration status

To be eligible for free school meals, your family's annual household income must be no higher than the following:

• £22,700 for families outside of London with one child
• £26,300 for families outside of London with two or more children

This includes any wider income or support you may be receiving in addition to any earnings from employment.

You must also have less than £16,000 in savings, including any shares, investments and bank accounts, but not including your home.

If you fall into one of these groups you will need to provide the evidence you have received from the Home Office.

The government has made provisions so that every child who attends school in key stage 1 (reception, year 1 and year 2) will be given a school meal regardless of their circumstances. However, when your child starts in year 3 you will need to apply for the means-tested scheme as detailed above in the 'Who qualifies for free school meals' section. If you do not, you will be charged for the meals by the school.

Even if your child is in key stage 1, if you receive any of the benefits listed above, you should also apply under the means-tested scheme so that the school can receive the extra funding detailed below.

For every valid application for free school meals, not only will your child receive a healthy, nutritious meal, but your school can claim additional funding called pupil premium.

Currently, the pupil premium allocations are:

• £1,515 for each eligible primary-aged pupil
• £1,075 for each eligible secondary-aged pupil. 

You do not need to tell us if your circumstances change unless:

• your child changes school, changes address or you move out of the area
• you have moved into the area
• you stop being responsible for the child or children concerned
• you no longer give us consent to use the information provided or no longer wish your child to receive a free school meal

You can report any changes by phone 0191 433 3729 or email: benefitsfsm@gateshead.gov.uk

If there is a change to your child or children's eligibility for free school meals, we will automatically notify the relevant school.