Everyday over 8,000 students in Cornwall receive free school meals but there are definitely more students who could be eligible.

The easiest and quickest way to apply for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium is online. Please make sure that you have checked the eligibility criteria below before applying.

School meals - Cornwall Council

APPLY ONLINE HERE

If you are unable to apply online, please call the Free School Meals team on 01872 324295. A member of the team will call you back to complete the application over the phone. Please make sure your phone will accept calls from a private / withheld number. 

The Free School Meals team will check your eligibility with HM Revenue and Customs, The Home Office and the Department of Work and Pensions.

They will email or write to you to let you know the outcome of your application. If you are eligible, they will give you the date your child’s free school meals will start. They will also notify the College.

Telephone enquiries - 01872 324295
Email address - schoolmeals@cornwall.gov.uk

Details of the pupils who receive free school meals are always kept completely confidential by both Cornwall's Children's Service Authority and the School.

Free school meals eligibility criteria if you receive benefits
A child is eligible for free school meals if their parent/carer (or the child themselves) receives any 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 (IS)
  
• Job Seekers' Allowance (Income-Based) and equal based Job Seekers Allowance
  
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA-IR) and equal based Employment and Support Allowance
  
• Child Tax Credit (CTC) 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  
• Guarantee Element of Pension Credit (GPC)
  
• Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (IAA) Supports

There are different eligibility criteria for families who are not entitled to benefits (NRPF - No Recourse to Public Funds)

Free School Meals Criteria change September 2026
The UK government is expanding free school meals (FSM) eligibility in England from September 2026. Under the new rules, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will qualify for free school meals.
Targeted Free School Meals for the 2026/2027 academic year
Your household has met the Universal Credit household income threshold (under £7400).
Your children will be entitled to

• a free school meal
• a free code to access the Time2Move Holiday Programme during the relevant school holidays (Easter, Summer and Christmas)
  
• the school will receive Pupil Premium funding

Expanded Free School Meals for the 2026/2027 academic year
Your household has met the Universal Credit household income threshold (above £7400). Your children will only be entitled to a free school meal only. Your child/ren will not qualify for a free Time2Move Holiday code to access the T2M Holiday Programme. The school will not receive Pupil Premium funding.
Free School Meal transitional protections (ending September 2026) 
Transitional protections are ending at the end of the 2025/26 school year.
All pupils becoming eligible for free school meals under the benefits-based criteria, should continue to receive this entitlement, regardless of any change in household circumstances until the end of the 2025/26 school year.

Apply for Free School Meals
You can apply for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium online. 
Please ensure you have read the important information on this page before applying.

Sixth Form
Once your child gets to the end of Year 11 their FSM entitlement will automatically end and they will not be part of the following years Auto-award process. Therefore, any families with children attending Sixth Form will need to apply for FSM through our Online portal.

Free School Meals Auto Award and Opt-out Process
A new process called Free School Meals (FSM) Auto Award was introduced for the 2026/2027 academic year. This process will use information already held by the Council to identify pupils who may be eligible for FSM. The process includes children who attend a school in Cornwall, and are either:
•    a current FSM claimant, or
•    a household in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax support from Cornwall Council

Anyone outside of these groups will need to apply manually through the Parent Portal.

Reasons for this change
From September 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) made changes to free school meal eligibility:

• All households on Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals (household income thresholds have been removed)
• Free school meals will no longer be ‘protected’ once awarded; eligibility will be checked at the start of each new academic year
  

To reduce the number of families that need to apply each year, Cornwall Council introduced the ‘Auto Award’ system. We will automatically run checks each term, using information already held by the Council, to see if a child is eligible. If your situation changes outside of these automatic checks, you will still be able to apply manually using the Parent Portal.
The Auto Award process is designed to remove barriers and make things easier. It will help more children who are entitled to free school meals receive them.

How the process works
Cornwall Council uses information it already holds to check whether a child could be eligible for free school meals.
If the information held by the Council suggests that your child may qualify or if you are currently claiming free school meals, you will be contacted.  If you do not want the Council to run the check against your details, the letter will provide information on how you can opt out. If the check shows that your child is eligible, you will be informed and your child will be automatically signed up for free school meals.

If you are not contacted regarding free school meals and feel you may be eligible, or if your circumstances change in the future, you can still apply at any time via the existing Parent Portal

How free school meals can benefit children
Free school meals provide children with a healthy, balanced lunch every school day. This supports their growth, health and wellbeing.

Research shows that children who have a nutritious school meal are more likely to:
•    feel settled and focused in class
•    be ready to learn in the afternoon
•    take part fully in school activities

Eating together at school can also have social benefits. Children often enjoy eating with their friends, it builds their friendships and social interactions, and they may be more willing to try new foods. This can help build healthy eating habits and make mealtimes more positive.
Free school meals can also reduce worry around food during the school day, helping children feel included and supported at school.

What you need to do
You do not need to respond unless you wish to opt out.
Cornwall Council will contact families at the start of each term (unless contacted within the current school year already) if the information we hold suggests their child or children may be eligible for free school meals or if they are currently claiming free school meals.
If this applies to you, you will receive a letter explaining:
•    why we are contacting you
•    what the next steps are
•    what choices are available to you

If you haven't received a letter, this may be because we do not hold accurate up to date contact information, please email schoolmeals@cornwall.gov.uk to update your information.

Time2Move Holiday Programme
The Time2Move Holiday Programme offers fun physical activities, games and wider activities plus a meal for children who are awarded targeted free school meals (Households in receipt of Universal Credit with an income below £7400).
More information HERE