Experts say 'check now' as 120,000 UK families 'missing out' on over £560

Parents have been urged to “check now” as they could be missing out on more than £560-worth of support. According to experts, more than 120,000 families are failing to claim free school meals.

Thesemeals are provided during the school day but some children will also qualify for support in the holidays. However, it depends on your income and whether you are on certain benefits.

On the Money Saving Expert (MSE) website, which was founded by Martin Lewis, it explained: “120,000+ families miss out on over £560 food help for children. A cooked meal served to eligible under-18s during the school or college day.

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"Worth checking if...you're on a very low income (eg, typically under £7,400 a year in England and Wales) and you've had a Universal Credit payment (you need to get that before applying).”

It’s important to check if you need to re-register for this support every year. MSE said: “It's crucial to remember you may need to re-register at the start of each school year for each child.”

Rules can vary in each UK nation. They’re given “automatically” to some children, either due to their age or where they live:

• England (excluding London): All state school children from reception to year two (roughly aged four to seven) automatically qualify for universal infant free school meals
• London: All primary school children up to the age of 11 at state-funded schools in the capital will get free school meals
• Scotland: All state school children from primary one to primary five (roughly aged four to nine) automatically get free school meals
• Wales: All primary school children in Welsh state schools automatically get free school meals
• Northern Ireland: Free school meals are not automatically given out to children of any age. But parents claiming certain benefits can apply for free school meals for any children in full-time education

However, if you're in a private school, there's no help – unless you're on a bursary in which case it's up to the school.

If your child doesn't get free school meals automatically, you could able to apply for benefits-based free school meals. You can do this for both primary and secondary school children – even up to the age of 18, if they attend an eligible education institution – but according to MSE both of the following need to apply:

You must be claiming at least one of these benefits:

• Universal Credit (you're eligible after you've got your first payment)
• The 'guaranteed element' of Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

If you're on Universal Credit or have “no recourse to public funds”, you'll also need to have a low (or no) income to qualify. Check the MSE website for more information on this, here.

If you qualify, here’s how to apply:

• England: apply to your local council
• Scotland: apply to your local council
• Wales: apply to your local council using the Welsh government's online tool
• Northern Ireland: apply directly to the Northern Irish government using its online form