Free school meals

All children in Year R, 1 and 2 can get a free lunch, regardless of the parents’ or carers’ income. All parents or carers must still apply for free school meals, so that schools receive the correct funding.

If your child receives free school meals, you may be eligible for other support, including free holiday programmes (HAF Fun Pompey) and the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you can get help to buy healthy food and milk and receive free vitamins with the NHS Healthy Start scheme.

Who can apply

You must apply for free school meals if you’ve just arrived in Portsmouth, even if your child received them at their previous school.

You can apply if your child attends a local authority nursery (usually attached to a primary or infant school).

When not to apply

Do not apply if your child goes to college. Contact the college directly, as they have their own application process.

Do not apply if your child goes to one of these schools, contact the school instead:

• ARK schools (ARK Ayrton Primary Academy, ARK Charter Academy, ARK Dickens Primary Academy)
• Arundel Court Primary Academy and Nursery
• Court Lane Infant Academy
• Court Lane Junior Academy
• Highbury Primary School
• Langstone Primary Academy
• Stamshaw Infant School
• Stamshaw Junior School
• The Flying Bull Primary Academy

Check if your child is eligible

Your child may be eligible if parents or carers receive any of the following:

• Universal Credit
• the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Some children may also be eligible if:

• you are on an overseas employment or student visa
• your family has no recourse to public fund

Eligibility based on Universal Credit

From September 2026 (the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year), the government will extend free school meals to all children from households receiving Universal Credit. Eligibility for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme will not expand in line with this change.

There will be two types of benefits-based free school meals:

• targeted free school meals – continue for households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less (children receiving this are eligible for the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF Fun Pompey)
• expanded free school meals – new category for households receiving Universal Credit who have a household income of more than £7,400, but do not qualify for targeted free school meals (children receiving this are not eligible for the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF Fun Pompey)

If your income changes

If your income increases

You do not need to tell us if your income goes up.

If your child is entitled to free school meals at any point in the academic year, they will keep free school meals for the rest of the year. We’ll check eligibility before the start of each academic year.

If your income decreases or you start receiving Universal Credit

If your income goes down or you start receiving Universal Credit, please apply for free school meals. We can then update your entitlement and inform your child’s school.

We are keen to promote healthy eating, particularly for school age children.

Primary schools in Portsmouth offer a selection of meals, with vegetarian and special diet meals that can be ordered. Primary school children may bring their own packed lunches.

Most secondary schools in Portsmouth operate a cash cafeteria system at lunchtime. Some also offer a mid-morning snack service.

If you have any questions, contact us at freeschoolmeal@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or on 023 9283 4092.