Free school meals are administered by Devon County Council for all Devon maintained schools. We are also responsible through a traded agreement for free school meals with Devon academies.
These pages are designed to keep schools up-to-date with the latest news and information on free school meals.
Applying for free school meals
Parents should apply through the Citizen Portal which is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision.
Communications to schools
To stay up-to-date on the latest free school meals communications please ensure you are registered to the free school meals topics on our Schools Communications website.
Universal infant free school meals
You will be aware that the government introduced universal infant free school meals for all key stage 1 pupils from September 2014. All pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England are eligible for Universal Infant Free school meals. This will include academies, free schools, pupil referral units and alternative provisions as well as maintained schools.
Qualifying benefits
Free school meals are available to pupils (16-19-year-olds) in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- 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
In addition, the following pupils will be protected against losing their free school meals:
- Since 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants have continued to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This applies regardless of any change in household circumstances, including if their earnings rise above the threshold during that time. Protections will remain in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year.
- From the start of the 2026/27 school year, the Department for Education will extend entitlement to Free School Meals to include all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit. The DfE will issue further guidance ahead of September 2026.
For more information about these changes please visit our School meals webpage on the Children, families and education website.
Pupil premium
Pupil premium is additional funding from the government for schools. Students eligible – based on the existing free school meals criteria – can attract this funding.
Parents and guardians with children in reception, year 1 and year 2 at a Devon school may be asked to complete a free school meal application form to check entitlement.
For further information regarding pupil premium please visit Pupil premium for schools.
We appreciate how important it is that pupils within KS1 are still recorded as eligible for free school meals, ensuring pupil premium funding is granted.
For further information regarding KS1 pupil premium for parents please refer to our New starter pupil premium page.