Apply for Free School Meals / Uniform Grants

Free School Meals / Uniform Grants application information and process, including Special Diet.

• Free School Meals Applications Now Open

  Applications for Free School Meals and Uniform Grants for the school year September 2025 are now open.  Apply before 25 July 2025 to help ensure support is in place for the new school year.

  How to Apply

  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.

  Free school meals link

  To find out if you are eligible and how to apply for this support please visit https://www.eani.org.uk/financial-help/free-school-meals-uniform