Find out whether your child qualifies for free school meals and how to apply.
The UK government offers free school meals (FSM) to pupils whose families are eligible for certain benefits. If a child is eligible for FSM, it means their school will also receive extra funding. It’s called Pupil Premium Funding.
Parents and carers who receive any of the following benefits are entitled to free school meals:
In addition:
Your child must attend a primary or secondary school in Torbay or South Devon High School. A child at nursery can receive free school meals if:
Students attending sixth forms can receive free school meals if the sixth form is part of the school. If your child is at a college, they will not be entitled.
Students attending South Devon College may be eligible for free college meals. Applications are processed by South Devon College. Find out more by contacting them on 08000 380123.
We are making it easier than ever to get free school meals if your child is entitled to them.
Torbay Council has introduced an opt-out, auto-award process. Three times per year, we check to see which children are entitled for FSM. We run this check in October, January and May, in line with the school census. We use data we already hold and information from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to check if your child can get free school meals and/or pupil premium funding.
When we identify a child who is entitled, we send their family a letter to let them know. If you don’t want to be registered for FSM, the letter will explain how you can opt-out. Otherwise, we will let the child’s school know to register them for FSM.
You can also apply for FSM via our website. We can do a completely confidential online check. You will need to tell us:
We will check your claim and let you know if you are entitled.
The majority of children eligible for FSM will now be auto-enrolled unless they opt out. As mentioned above, another easy way is to apply via our website.
You can also still register your child for FSM outside of the Council’s auto-enrolment process that is run in October, January and May.
Contact your child’s school to ask for a free school meal application form. It is sometimes also called a Pupil Premium application form. Return this to the school, who will return it to us. We will then check your eligibility.
However, please be advised that this will take longer to process than the other two options. It is quicker and easier to either agree to the auto-enrolment, or fill out the online form.
Free school meals will stay in place for all pupils who qualify under the current rules until the end of the 2025/26 school year. This applies even if your family’s situation changes or your child moves to a different school stage.
From the start of the 2026/27 school year, all children in families receiving Universal Credit will get free school meals. The current protections will end. Only those who meet the new rules will qualify. The plan is to end transitional protections alongside the change in threshold. Pupils will get free meals if they meet the new eligibility criteria. This is regardless of whether they were previously protected. More details will be shared before September 2026.
Please check this page for updates.