Free school meals and Healthy Start
Help with food costs for school-age children and families with under-fours.
The short answer
Free school meals and Healthy Start help families with the cost of food. Free school meals are for school-age children in England whose families get certain benefits, and Healthy Start is a prepaid card for pregnant women and families with children under four.
Free school meals in England
- Children can qualify if the household gets Universal Credit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, or some other benefits.
- GOV.UK says the Universal Credit income limit (£7,400 a year after tax) is being removed from the 2026 to 2027 school year, so children in Universal Credit households would qualify regardless of income. Check with your council for how it applies now.
- All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 at state schools get free meals automatically, but families should still tell the school about qualifying benefits, as it can bring extra funding.
- Apply through your local council using the postcode tool on GOV.UK.
Healthy Start
- For women more than 10 weeks pregnant and families with a child under four who get certain benefits. Young mothers under 18 who are pregnant can apply without being on benefits.
- It helps you buy healthy food, such as milk and fruit, and get free vitamins.
- It does not run in Scotland. People there can apply for Best Start Foods.
- Apply on the NHS Healthy Start website. Payment amounts are shown there.
Other food help
Some areas also offer holiday activity and food programmes and food vouchers through local council schemes. See how to cut your food shop for everyday savings.
Where to learn more
This guide is for information only and is not benefits or financial advice. Rules and amounts can change, so check the official pages before you rely on them.