How to apply for free school meals for each Greater Manchester borough - and who is eligible

With summer slowly drawing to and end, parents across the UK have been preparing for their children to head back to school this month. The new academic year can bring a lot of challenges, especially the expense of buying new school uniform, supplies and sorting out lunches.

Between rising inflation rates and with the energy bill price cap set to skyrocket in the autumn, the next few months will be a major source of anxiety for many. Charities have warned that the new price cap - meaning people could be hit with an average yearly bill of £3,549 - could push 8.9 million UK households into poverty this October.

Meanwhile, new analysis from Child Poverty Action Group shows there are 100,000 children in the North West who are living in poverty but don’t qualify for free school meals 'because the eligibility criteria is so restrictive.' The charity is calling for an urgent extension of free school meals to all families in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefits, and for England to move towards universal provision for all children, as is the case in Scotland and Wales.

Read more: 'Families are being forced to choose between what to feed their kids and paying for school uniforms'

So, how do households know whether or not their child is eligible for free school meals? All pupils in reception, year one and year two in state-funded schools in England are eligible for 'Universal Infant Free School Meals', irrespective of the income of their parents.

However each school is responsible for providing this and they may ask you to fill in an application form to show that you require a meal for your child or children. According to the government, if any of the following apply to your household, your child may be able to apply