Free School Meals, Free School Meals Holiday Payments, and Clothing Grants
Depending on your household income and circumstances, Falkirk Council can provide support with the following:
- Free School Meals - free lunches during term-time
- Free School Meals Holiday Payments - payments made to help with the cost of lunches during school holidays
- Clothing Grant awards - a one-off payment towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.
The help available depends on your child's age and your household income and circumstances.
The information below explains what support you may be entitled to and how to apply.
Means-Tested Free School Meals, Holiday Payments, and Clothing Grant Awards
"Means-tested" awards of Free School Meals (including Holiday Payments) and Clothing Grant are available to families receiving certain benefits or on lower incomes.
Eligibility and award values
Children of any school age may qualify for means-tested Free School Meals and Holiday Payments.
Children can be considered for an award of Clothing Grant up until they reach school leaving age. Once they are old enough to leave school they can apply for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) instead of Clothing Grant.
The qualifying criteria for means-tested Free School Meals and the Free School Meals Holiday Payments are determined by the Scottish Government and are usually updated each year from April.
The qualifying criteria for Clothing Grant awards, and the value of the awards, are determined by Falkirk Council and are usually updated for each school year starting in August.
The table below details the current value of Clothing Grant Awards for Primary School Pupils and Secondary School Pupils:
| School Year 2026/2027 | Clothing Grant Award Value per Pupil |
|---|---|
| Primary School Pupils | £135.00 |
| Secondary School Pupils | £165.00 |
The table below details which of these benefits you may qualify for, depending on your household income:
| Your income | Means-tested Free School Meals | Free School Meals Holiday Payments | Clothing Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Support | yes | yes | yes |
| Income-based Jobseekers Allowance | yes | yes | yes |
| Income related Employment and Support Allowance | yes | yes | yes |
| Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 | yes | yes | yes |
| Pension Credit | yes | no | yes |
| Universal Credit with monthly earned income of not more than £885 | yes | yes | yes |
| Universal Credit with monthly earned income between £885 and £995 | yes | no | yes |
| Universal Credit with monthly earned income between £995 and £1,936 | no | no | yes |
Please Note - Pupils are eligible to apply for Free School Meals in their own right if they are aged 16-18 and in receipt of one of the benefits listed above.
How to claim
If you would like to be considered for an award of Means-Tested Free School Meals (including Holiday Payments) and/or Clothing Grants you can apply for these online using the link below:
You can apply for Free School Meals (including Holiday Payments) at any point during the school year.
You can apply for Clothing Grant up until 31st March of each of school year.
Please Note – for those who have received an award during the previous school year and have a live claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction we can normally carry out an automatic assessment each summer. We will contact you by email if this applies to you, and more information is available in the FAQ section.
How to update bank details
If you need to update your bank details in relation to your Free School Meals and Clothing Grant claim during the year you can do this online using the link below:
How to submit supporting evidence
If you need to provide supporting evidence in relation to your Free School Meals and Clothing Grant claim you can do this online using the link below:
Universal Free School Meals entitlement
All pupils attending Primary 1 -5 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals during term-time.
Pupils attending eligible Additional Support Needs Schools are also entitled to Universal Free School Meals during term-time.
This means that these pupils will automatically receive Free School Meals during term-time, regardless of their household income and circumstances, and without the need to apply for this.
Important: Even if your child already receives Universal Free School Meals, you should still apply if you think you qualify for Means-Tested Free School Meals or a Clothing Grant. This allows us to assess entitlement to Clothing Grants and Holiday Payments.
Primary 6 - 7 children: Additional Free School Meals entitlement for those in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment
The Scottish Government plan to extend the Universal Free School Meal Entitlement to include Primary 6/7 pupils, as well as P1-5 pupils. However, the introduction of this entitlement has been delayed until further notice.
In the meantime, if you receive Scottish Child Payment, your child may qualify for Free School Meals during term-time.
This will be automatically awarded in most cases each year where possible, however you can also apply for this online using the same application form used for Means-Tested Free School Meals and Clothing Grants:
Please Note - P6 and P7 pupils receiving free school meals through Scottish Child Payment eligibility do not qualify for Holiday Payments.
Additional information
Further information about Free School Meals and Clothing Grants can be found on our frequently asked questions pages. They contain a variety of information regarding applications, payments and more.