School meals

Apply for free school meals

You can claim for free school meals for your child if you are a parent or carer in receipt of -

• Income Support, or 
• Jobseekers Allowance (income based), or 
• Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of £16,190 or less, or
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA – IR), or 
• guaranteed element of State Pension Credit, or 
• asylum seekers (supported by the National Asylum Support Service)

The child must be attending a Hull school on a full-time basis up to the age of 16 (or be attending a sixth form school). If your child is attending an East Riding school, you should apply to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council for free school meals.

How to claim

The parent or carer who receives the qualifying benefit needs to complete an application form online below.

Forms are also available from all customer service centres or from Hull schools.

Find your nearest customer service centre

After filling in the form -

• you can post it to the welfare benefits team
• some schools will check your form then send the form back themselves - please ask your school
• customer service centres will check your form and then send the form onto the welfare benefits team

There is no need to re-apply because we will undertake checks on your behalf. So free meals will continue to be available to your children throughout their school life unless your benefits stop or your asylum status changes. If this happens we will write to you to let you know when your children will no longer be eligible for free school meals.

Type of meals

Primary school children receive a nutritious meal consisting of a main course, pudding and a drink. The cost of a meal for those children who are not eligible to receive a free meal is £1.30. Secondary school children can choose from a range of healthy food and drink items which are individually priced. Secondary school children who qualify for free school meals can spend up to the value of £1.80 per meal.

The benefits

• school meals offer a daily selection of freshly cooked main meals and desserts, fresh fruit or yoghurt and salads
• all meals are nutritionally balanced over the course of one week. Menus are produced in consultation with qualified dieticians and are served by helpful and understanding catering staff
• children can sit down and enjoy their meal while at the same time developing those social skills of eating together that are so important in later life
• a well-fed and happy child is more likely to be receptive to participating in the afternoon's  activities
• each meal aims to provide 35 per cent of all essential nutritional requirements that will assist your child in leading a bright and healthy lifestyle
• someone else prepares and cooks lunch for your child, which saves you worrying about a packed meal every day

The cost of a school meal is £1.30

Should you require any further information or would like to make any comments on your child's school meals service please contact us on 01482 300 300 or email hullcatering@hullcc.gov.uk

The menu for primary schools is available to download below -

Contact us

Welfare benefits team
Hull City Council
Brunswick House
Strand Close
Beverley Road
Hull
HU2 9DB
Map (link opens in a new window)

Tel: 01482 300 300
Text phone: 01482 300 349

Or you can call in at any customer service centre.