Free school meals

Free school meals are available to all primary and secondary school children if their parents or guardian receive one of the following benefits:

  • Employment and Support Allowance (income based)
  • Income Support
  • Job Seekers Allowance (income based)
  • Child Tax Credit (with annual taxable income not exceeding £16,190).
  • Pension Credit (Guarantee)
  • Help under Immigration and Asylum Seekers Act 1999
  • Universal Credit provided your household has an annualised net earned income of no more than £7,400

Families in receipt of Working Tax Credit are not eligible even if their annual taxable income is less than £16,190.


How to apply

If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction from Gwynedd Council, you will not have to complete an application form for free school meals, we will assess your right automatically.

If you do not receive Housing Benefit of Council Tax Reduction from Gwynedd Council, and are of the opinion that your family is entitled to free school meals, you can download the application form below.

Application from: Free school meals

 

  • If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction from Gwynedd Council, you will not have to complete an application form at specific times, we will review your right automatically.
  • If you do not receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction from Gwynedd Council, you will need to make an application every year. The Benefit office will send you a form when you need to make a new application. You only need to complete one form for all your children, even if they attend different schools.

Your child must attend a school in Gwynedd to claim free school meals from Gwynedd Council. If your child attends school in any other county you must make an application to that Council for free school meals.

If your child / children move to a different school during the school year, you will need to contact the Council’s Benefits office so that they can inform the new school that your child / children receive free school meals.
 

It is your responsibility to notify the Council’s Benefits office of any changes in your financial / family circumstances. If you do not do this Gwynedd Council can ask you to pay for free meals that your children have already received.

You can tell us about any change of circumstances on-line


If your child is currently in receipt of Free School Meals, you may also be entitled to additional help through the School Essentials Grant

 

Universal Free School Meals

Universal Free School Meals will be rolled out to all primary learners in Wales over the next three years. 

If you have a child starting Reception or Year 1, and you do not want your child to receive a meal in school at lunchtimes, you should inform the school as soon as possible so that our school kitchens know how many meals to prepare. 

The Universal Free School Meals policy is part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru, which will see free school meals extended to all primary school learners over the next three years.

Contacting the Benefits office