If your child is missing out on free school meals On this page, you’ll find resources to help eligible families claim the free school meals they’re entitled to, but missing out on. Download our free legal guide Human rights lawyers have written a free school meals guide explaining how you can access free school meals via alternative arrangements, depending on your situation. Template letters Thanks to campaign leader Natalie Hay fundraising £8000, we’ve worked with human rights lawyers to produce a range of template letters to help you ask for free school meals for your child. Which template you’ll use depends on your personal circumstances. Use the flowchart below by answering the questions, and we’ll direct you to the correct template letter. Of, if you know what you’re doing, skip past the flowchart to see all template letters. Use our template letter flow chart Where in the UK do you live? England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales What is your child's education setting? On the roll of (registered at) a state-maintained school or academy (whether educated at school/home/elsewhere or suspended/expelled) Has an EOTAS package (and so is not on a school roll)* Attends an independent or non-maintained school Attends post-16 provision Not registered and awaiting placement in a specialist setting Electively home educated *EOTAS is Education Otherwise than at School – an educational package funded by the local authority when a school placement is not appropriate due to special educational need. Is your child missing out on free school meals because they are currently expelled or suspended? Yes No Is your child in Reception / Year 1 / Year 2? Yes No Is your child in year 3 or above, aged up to 16 and eligible for free school meals for financial reasons? Yes No A child is financially eligible if they or their parent/guardian receive a qualifying welfare benefit, which includes Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, Child Tax Credit, and Universal Credit.Sorry, your child is not eligible for free school mealsHas an EOTAS package Where children of any age are in receipt of an EOTAS package, and therefore not on a school roll, and they would otherwise be eligible for free school meals, then failure to provide funding for a meal “may be a breach of Article 14 ECHR” . The government is preparing guidance for local authorities (expected in March 2024) to ensure they are providing access to a meal for those with EOTAS. If your child is in this position, download template letter B to ask your local authority to provide a supermarket voucher.Attends an independent or non-maintained school The local authority doesn’t have a duty to provide free school meals to children at independent and non-maintained school. But it does have a power to do so. Download template letter A to ask the local authority to provide free school meals.Template letter coming soon We’ll have a template letter available soon.Electively home educated Sorry, your child is not eligible for free school meals.Children in Reception / Year 1 / Year 2 If your child is eligible for free school meals but isn’t receiving them because of their disability – for example because they are educated at home or have sensory issues – download letter template C to ask the school to provide an alternative. If the school declines your request, use our follow-up template letter.Children in year 3 or above If your child is eligible for free school meals but isn’t receiving them because of their disability – for example because they are educated at home or have sensory issues – download letter template D to ask the school to provide an alternative. If the school declines your request, use our follow-up template letter.Template for families in Scotland If your child is eligible for free school meals but isn’t receiving them because of their disability – for example because they are educated at home or have sensory issues – download letter template G to ask the school to provide an alternative.Awaiting a placement If your child would be eligible for free school meals but is not currently registered at a setting and is awaiting a placement, download template letter F to ask for a reasonable adjustment.Your child has been suspended or expelled If your child is missing out on their free school meals because they’ve been expelled or suspended, download template letter E to ask for a reasonable adjustment. All letter templates If you’re not sure which template to use, go back to the Free School Meals flowchart and answer the questions to find out which template you need to download and complete. For families in England and Wales Template A – If your child attends an independent or non-maintained school and you want to ask the local authority to use its power to provide free school meals. Template B – If your child has Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) and you want to ask the local authority to provide free school meals. Template C – For children at a state-maintained school, academy or free school; eligible for free school meals because they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2; missing out due to their disability, and you want to ask for an alternative. Template D – For children at a state-maintained school, academy or free school; eligible for free school meals because of financial reasons; missing out due to their disability, and you want to ask for an alternative. If the school declines your request, use our follow-up template letter. Template E – If your child attends a state-maintained school, academy or free school; is missing out on free school meals because they have been expelled, and you want to ask the local authority to provide an alternative. Template F – If your child is not currently registered at an education setting because they are awaiting a placement in a specialist setting and you want to ask the local authority to provide an alternative. If you are unsure what type of school your child attends you can find out by clicking visiting the Government’s schools service page. For families in Scotland Template G – If your child is eligible for free school meals but isn’t receiving them because of their disability, and you want to ask the school to provide an alternative. If you live in Northern Ireland Please email imogen.steele@contact.org.uk for advice. The template letter for post 16 provision is coming soon. If your child is elective home educated unfortunately you are not eligible for free school meals.