Free school meals and clothing grants

School Clothing Grants are £130 for Primary pupils and £160 for Secondary pupils.  School Clothing Grants are processed annually throughout the year.

We can also provide free school meals to ensure that children receive a free, balanced and healthy meal during the school day.  This service is delivered discreetly so that it is not obvious to other children that your child is receiving this benefit.

As of April 2024, if you receive one of the following benefits you are entitled to apply for Free School Meals and a School Clothing Grant: 

• Income Support,
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance,
• Any Income Related Element of Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit but NOT Working Tax Credit with an annual income less than £19,995
• Child Tax Credit AND Working Tax Credit with an annual income of up to £9,552
• Universal Credit with a monthly earned income of not more than £796

Young adults aged 16 to 18 who are still at school and claiming benefits

If you are between 16 and 18 years old and receive any of these benefits in your own right, you can claim free school meals.

Children in P1 to P5

All pupils in Primary 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be entitled to a free school meal (but not free school milk, clothing grant or holiday payments).

People receiving the above benefits should complete an online application form to ensure they are not charged for school milk and receive a clothing grant.

Scottish Child Payment P6 and P7

All pupils in P1-P5 are entitled to a free school meal.  From February 2025 the Scottish Government has made a commitment to extend this offer to pupils in P6 and P7 who receive the Scottish Child Payment but are not currently in receipt of Free School Meals.  Parents/carers of P6 and P7 eligible pupils are invited to apply.  Your child’s school lunch will be free if you are in receipt of Scottish Child Payment, but you will not be entitled to the clothing grant, holiday payments or free school milk – milk will still need to be paid for in the normal way. 

There is no limit on the number of children in a family that can receive the payment but we need to verify the paperwork for each named child.

How to apply

To apply please email a clear photo of your Scottish Child Payment award letter to scottishchildpayment@eastlothian.gov.uk.

You will also be asked to provide the following:

• Your child’s name
• Your child’s date of birth
• Your child’s school
• Your child’s year group (P6 or P7)

If you are unable to email your award letter, your school office can scan your letter and send in the details of the child you are applying for to us for you, just call into the office ask them to help you to apply.

Who qualifies for Scottish Child Payment and how do I apply?

Click here for full details: Social Security Scotland - About Scottish Child Payment

I have lost my award letter, what do I do?

Call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 to arrange a copy.  Once you have this follow the process above.

When will the free school lunches take effect?

As soon as the information has been verified we will confirm via email that your child is eligible and the date this will commence.  We are unable to backdate the lunches so please apply as soon as you can.

Do I have to re-register every year?

Yes we will ask you to confirm each academic year.  However, if your circumstances change and you are no longer in receipt of Scottish Child Payment you must inform us immediately.

Asylum seekers

You may also be eligible to free school meals if you are an asylum seeker receiving support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. The person in receipt of the benefit must make the claim.

Exceptional circumstances

If you do not receive any of the qualifying benefits, you may still qualify under exceptional circumstances.  This could be because

• your immigration status means you cannot get help from the government
• you're still waiting on your first Universal Credit payment

How old must your child be to qualify?

You can apply for free school meals and clothing grants for pupils between Primary 1 and school leaving age.

If your child goes to school outside East Lothian

We provide this service for pupils who are living in East Lothian and attending an East Lothian Council school.

However, where a child has severe and complex needs (e.g. a severe physical disability) which means that he or she has to be educated outside East Lothian, you may be able to receive a clothing grant if you would otherwise be eligible - that is, if you receive the correct benefits.