Renfrewshire Council

What free school meals and holiday meal payments are 

Free school meals 

All children at primary school in P1, P2, P3, P4 and P5 get free school meals every day they're at school. You do not need to apply for this. 

If you're the parent or carer of a child at primary school in P6 and P7, and you get certain benefits, you can apply to get free school meals. 

School meal payments during the holidays 

If you're the parent or carer of a child at primary school, and you're on certain benefits, you can get payments for meals during the school holidays. You need to apply once in each school year.

Who can get it

Your child can get free meals payments during the holidays and free school meal in P6 and P7 if they go to a Renfrewshire school, and you get:

• Universal Credit (where your monthly earned income is not more than £796) 
• Income Support 
• income-based Job Seeker's Allowance 
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance 
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £19,995 
• both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit and have an income of up to £9,552.

If you're applying for a child who has not previously attended a Renfrewshire Council school, we cannot process an application until their enrolment has been completed. This is usually during the early part of August.

If you live in Renfrewshire and your child goes to a special school or special unit that is not within Renfrewshire, and if you meet the eligibility criteria, you can get the free school meal holiday payments.

Who cannot get it

If you do not meet the benefits criteria listed, you cannot get free school meal holiday payments. Find out where to get money and benefits advice.

Before you start

You can apply for free school meals and a clothing grant at the same time. Find out about clothing grants.

You'll need to provide us with:  

• your National Insurance number  
• evidence of your household income - you can upload the proof  
• evidence of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction - you can upload proof, or ask us to verify your housing benefit or Council Tax Reduction entitlement using our systems 
• evidence of Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credits - your current Tax Credit Award Notice dated within the last 6 months 
• details of the child or children you're applying for - full name, gender, date of birth and the school they'll attend during the school year that you're applying for 
• the bank or building society account details - holiday meal payments are paid directly into a bank account.

How to apply 

Apply online 

Before you start, you'll need to register for MyAccount through mygov.scot. If you've already registered, you do not need to do it again.   

Apply for free school meals and clothing grants. 

Applications for free school meals open on 1 June 2024 and close on 31 May 2025. 

You only need to apply once in each school year. Apply as early as you can as we do not back date any applications. 

Free school meals will be provided from the first day of the school year, provided that the application form and qualifying proof has been received by 31 July. 

If you're eligible for the free school meal payments, you'll also get a clothing grant. You can apply for both on the same form. Find out about clothing grants. 

Other ways to apply

You can only apply online. 

If you need help to apply: 

• contact your school 
• or phone us on 0300 300 0300, Monday to Thursday from 8:45am to 4:45pm and Friday from 8:45am to 3:55pm.

After you've applied

How we make a decision 

We'll check the evidence you provide. If it meets the eligibility criteria, you'll get money added to your ParentPay account and the holiday meal payments will be paid into the bank or building society account that you gave us. 

You should speak to your school if you do not have a ParentPay account. 

How we pay it 

Holiday meal payments are made directly into your bank account 5 times in a school year, in: 

• October for the mid-term holiday 
• December for the Christmas holiday 
• February for the mid-term holiday 
• March or April ­­for the Easter holiday 
• June for the summer holiday (the 6-week summer payments are for children who have applied the previous year - so you need to have applied by the end of June to get the summer payments). 

We do not back date payments - they start from when you apply. 

You get a payment of £2.35 per weekday per child during the holidays.

Related services

Clothing grants for children at school.

Where to get benefits and money advice.

Scottish Child Payment, a four-weekly payment to help with costs for children under 16.

School Age Payment, a one off payment for when children normally start school.

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