Lunch is provided at all schools in Denbighshire. In primary schools, all meals have a fixed price. Secondary schools serve lunches on a cafeteria basis, with different prices for different meals.
Universal Primary Free School Meals
To help with the rising costs-of-living, we are working with Welsh Government so that every primary school pupil will be offered free school meals by 2024 through the Universal Primary Free School Meals scheme.
This is different to the Free School Meals scheme which is available for people who receive certain benefits.
If you are eligible to receive Free School Meals because you receive a qualifying benefit, we recommend that you apply for Free School Meals as you will also be eligible for the School Essentials Grant.
Changes to Transitional Protection from 1 January 2024
Transitional Protection is only available for applications received before 31 December 2023, so it will not be applied to any new applications made since 1 January 2024.
Any child receiving free school meals with Transitional Protection before 31 December 2023 will keep that protection until they finish their current phase of education (either primary or secondary school). This means that if your child is entering year 7 and you are getting one of the eligible benefits, you will need to re-apply for free school meals.
If your child attends primary school, they will still be entitled to
Universal Primary Free School Meals, even if you are not eligible for free school meals and your child is not transitionally protected.
You can claim free school meals for your child if you receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance; Income Based
- Employment and Support Allowance; Income Related
- Pension Credit; Guaranteed Credit
- Child tax credit (but not working tax credit) with an annual income below £16,190
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Universal Credit - From the 1st of April 2019, to qualify for free school meals through receiving Universal Credit, your yearly net earnings must be no more than £7,400.
Find out more about tax free and taxable benefits (external website).
Foster children are not eligible for free school meals. This is because foster parents already receive an allowance for looking after the child.
How to claim free school meals
The closing date to apply for free school meals for the 2024/2025 school year is 31 May 2025.
Apply online for free school meals (for a child going to a Denbighshire school)
Changing schools
Please let us know if your child leaves or changes school.
Please complete a free school meals application form to let us know if your child has moved school in Denbighshire or contact us to cancel free school meals.
Information from other Local Authorities