Free school meals and uniform grant
We provide free school meals to all maintained nursery and primary school pupils in Islington, but you need to register. Secondary school pupils can also receive free school meals but you need to apply.
Free School Meals (FSMs)
Children may be entitled to free school meals if their parent or carer receives certain benefits.
From September 2026, all children from households receiving Universal Credit can get free school meals, regardless of household income. All previous transitional protections for free school meals will end alongside the new entitlement applying to all households in receipt of Universal Credit.
In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria, pupils attending school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools must be receiving full-time education, or if part time, must be receiving education both before and after the lunch period to be entitled to a free meal.
Students enrolled in state-funded further education institutions are also entitled to receive free meals.
Who can get free school meals?
- Children attending school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools must be receiving full-time education, or if part time, must be receiving education both before and after the lunch period
- Pupils in state-funded primary schools
- Pupils in state-funded secondary schools
- Pupils in state-funded special schools
- Students enrolled in state-funded further education institutions
If your child attends one of the above and you receive one of the qualify benefits, check whether your child is entitled to a free meal; apply for FSMs on the Citizens Portal here.
Qualifying benefits
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Check whether your child is entitled to a free meal; apply for FSMs on the Citizens Portal here
The check result is valid for the full academic year (2026-27). The Council will reassess eligibility on an annual basis, every summer.
Some families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) may also qualify under separate government rules: Providing free school meals to families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) - GOV.UK.
Applications must be verified by the council or your child's school.
How to apply for Free School Meals
To check whether your child is entitled to a free meal, apply for FSMs on the Citizens Portal here.
Why should I apply?
From September 2026, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:
- Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. In addition to receiving free meals, pupils eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium and other disadvantage funding for their schools.
- Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit. Pupils eligible for expanded FSM will be entitled to meals only.
Provision for all children
Islington are committed to providing a free meal to all children, from the age of three, receiving full-time education in an Islington funded children’s centre; Islington nursery school or Islington school-based nursery.
All pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state funded schools are entitled to free meals under the DfE Universal Infant Free School Meals policy.
The Mayor of London has also continued to fund free school meals for all children in Years 3 to 6 attending state-funded primary schools in London.
Uniform grant
Your child can get a one-off uniform grant if they:
- live in Islington and
- are eligible for expanded free school meals.
We'll pay £150 to help with the cost of school uniforms when your child moves to secondary school from year 6. If your child lives in another borough, even if they attend school in Islington, you should contact your borough council for support.
If your child is currently in year 6, you previously registered for free school meals and they are eligible under the national criteria, you’ll automatically receive the uniform grant.
If you haven’t registered for free school meals before, you must apply for this service using the Citizen Portal and choose the free school meals option. Please send the outcome assessment to FreeSchoolMeal@islington.gov.uk.
Need help?
If you have any questions, please contact the Free School Meals Team:
