Free school meals

Apply for free school meals

Apply for a free school meal here. We aim to reply within two working days.

Why apply for free school meals?

  • If you are eligible for free school meals, you could be saving yourself hundreds of pounds a year in the cost of school meals or packed lunches.
  • The school also benefits as they will receive additional funds for each child registered, which they can use for books, equipment or even on more staff.
  • School lunches are an excellent source of nutrition, and are now some of the healthiest provided to school children in the world.
  • A regular cooked school lunch gives children the opportunity to eat and socialise together outside of lessons and they are more likely to try new foods if they see their friends eating them.
  • The old fashioned stigma associated with free school meals is a thing of the past, with schools operating cashless canteens, so there is nothing to distinguish a child using free school meals from those whose parents and carers pay for lunches.

Am I eligible?

You will be eligible if you and your child live in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, your child attends a state-funded school and you receive one of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income Based Job Seeker's Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • The Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual household income of less than £16,190

Nursery aged children must be receiving education before and after lunch to be entitled to free school meals.

If you live in the London Borough of Wandsworth and your child attends a school in Richmond Borough, you can also apply via Richmond Council.

If you live elsewhere, you will need to make an application to the local authority in whose area your home is situated.

What we will do for you

Once we receive your application we will let you know the outcome by email (if an address is supplied) or by post. We aim to do this within two working days.

If you are eligible, we will tell your child's school. You won’t have to worry about renewing - if you still qualify we will automatically renew your entitlement every year. However, if your circumstances change, in regard to your address or your eligible benefits, you must let us know.

More information about free school meals

Please contact the Pupil Finance Officer regarding any free school meal enquiry.

Telephone: 020 8891 7587
Minicom: 020 8891 7539
Email: freeschoolmeals@richmond.gov.uk

Personal visits can be made at the Civic Centre.

If you have any particular need such as an induction loop, signer or interpreter, please let us know in advance.

To apply by post

Download the pdf version of the application form here.(pdf, 133KB)

Send to:

Free School Meals
Civic Centre
44 York Street
Twickenham
Tw1 3BZ