The Welsh Government is offering support to parents with Free School Meals and general uniform through the School Essentials Grant.
Below is a link and summary of the financial support available –
Eligibility for free school meals
Your child is eligible to receive free school meals (in maintained schools in Wales) if you or your child receive the following…
- Income Support (IS)*
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)*
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance (IR)
- Child Tax Credit – providing you’re not entitled to Working Tax Credit with an annual total income below the HMRC set limit
- Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
-
Universal Credit – if you are working you must be earning less than £7,400 per year (£616.67 per month) to qualify for free school meals
The link to apply for Free School Meals is available below –
The School Essentials Grant
This will open on 1 July 2026 and will close on 31 May 2027.
Who is eligible
Families with children in reception to year 11 on lower incomes and get certain benefits can apply for:
- £125 per learner and extra funding for your school
- £200 for learners entering year 7 (to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school) and extra funding for your school
Parents and carers can claim once per child per school year.
Receiving Universal Primary Free School Meals does not automatically entitle your child to the School Essentials Grant:
- Learners must be eligible for means-tested Free School Meals (eFSM).
- Learners who receive free school meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify.
- All children in local authority care qualify for the grant.
Receiving the School Essentials Grant will not affect your tax or other benefits.
The link to apply for the School Essentials Grant is available below –
