Apply for Free School Meals / Uniform Grants

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) 

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) can apply if your son or daughter is in full-time education and if you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:-    

• Income Support;     
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance;     
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance; 
• Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;    
• Universal Credit and have net household earnings not exceeding £15,000 per year. 

Or: 

• if you are an Asylum Seeker supported by the Home Office Asylum Support Assessment Team (ASAT); or     
• if your child has a statement of special educational needs and is designated to require a special diet. 

Student(s) 

Student(s) can apply: 

• if the course you are studying is a full-time course, and 
• you are receiving benefit in your own name. 

When you Register on EA Connect, choose the Student option and complete your details.  If you are a student and also have children who are attending school you must select Parent and Student when you register.

When applying, you will be asked to upload proof that you are receiving a qualifying benefit: 

• If you are applying under Universal Credit, you must attach all pages of your most recent Universal Credit Claimant Statement which includes your name and address, dates and amounts of UC payments, all entitlements and all deductions.  This can be found by logging into your Universal Credit account and clicking on your most recent payment details where you see the breakdown of all payments and deductions of how your Universal Credit has been calculated.
• If you are applying under Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit you must submit your Proof of Benefit letter with your application. This letter must be dated no earlier than the beginning of the month before you submit your application. If you have difficulty in obtaining Universal Credit information or a Proof of Benefit letter, contact your local Jobs and Benefits office (JBo) Digital Hub staff for assistance.

If you are an Asylum seeker you must attach evidence to show that you are supported by the Home Office Asylum Support Assessment Team (ASAT) or that you have applied for support.

For more information see our Frequently Asked Questions and Videos and Guidance sections. 

1. You will need your National Insurance Number; your children's names, dates of births and schools they will be attending; your address, email and telephone number; your bank or building society account number and sort code. 
2. New applicants for Free School Meals and Uniform Allowances must register your email address and create an account for the 2025/26 school year before an application can be submitted. If you received Free School Meals and Uniform Allowance in the 2024/25 school year you can log on to your previous account. Check your details carefully before you submit.
3. The application must be made by the person receiving benefits who is named on the Proof of Benefit Letter / Universal Credit Claimant Statement. 
4. Include in your application all children for whom you have parental responsibility who will be attending full time at Nursery, school or Regional/FE College and for whom you want to apply for support. If you do not include all relevant children on your application their support may be delayed.  This includes children aged over 16 where you are unsure what school they will attend or if they will return to school. You can inform us later of any changes.

We will review the information provided and will aim to inform you of our decision within 4 weeks, however in the peak processing period of June to September this can take up to 5 weeks. 

If you have not submitted the correct information, we will email you. Please check your email junk or spam folder.  Also check to ensure that you clicked the ‘Submit’ button on your application.

Children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (Stage 3) who require a medically prescribed special diet may be eligible for Free School Meals if their parent/carer is not eligible to apply for support under one of the qualifying benefits listed below:

• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Universal Credit (with annual net household earnings of £15,000 or less)

All new and existing parents/carers should apply on EA Connect.  You must complete the Eligibility Checker to access the Special Diet application

Important: please only complete one application - either the standard EA Connect application if you qualify under one of the benefits listed above, or the Special Diet application if you do not.

The EA Free School Meals and Uniform Section will advise both you and the school regarding your child’s entitlement to free school meals.  If your free school meals (Special Diet) application is successful you should contact the school to make the necessary arrangements.

See EA Guidance For Provision of Special Diets In Schools for further information.

Our Frequently Asked Questions section details further information on eligibility, applying and technical support.

See also Videos and Guidance relating to the application process and document upload.

If additional information is required or any difficulty is experienced, parents can contact the Meals and Uniform Service.

Contact Monday – Friday 9am – 4.00pm by:

Telephone: 028 9047 0233

Email: [email protected]