Shop at Iceland? You can boost  your £15 free school meal vouchers by £2 until 24 February – here's how

If you're not currently getting any benefits and you're on a low income, it's also worth using our 10-minute benefits checker to ensure you're not missing out on vital support.

How to boost free school meal vouchers at Iceland

In some council areas in England, if your child qualifies for free school meals you'll get a £15 voucher to spend on food in half-term at supermarkets including Aldi, Asda, Iceland, M&S Food, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose. 

If you were planning to shop at Iceland anyway - and do check its cheapest for your needs first - you can boost this £15 voucher by £2. You just need to: 

• Select to spend your £15 free school meals voucher at Iceland or the Food Warehouse, which is owned by Iceland. 

• Redeem the £15 voucher in-store only at Iceland (or The Food Warehouse) on or before Friday 24 February and swipe your Iceland 'Bonus' loyalty card at the till. Some English schools held half-term between 13 and 17 February, while for others it's 20 to 24 February. If you're not already an Iceland loyalty card holder you can sign up via the App store or via the Google Play store. If you'd prefer a physical card, you can ask for one in-store but you will need to register it online.

• £2 will be automatically loaded onto your Bonus card within seven days. The £2 can then be put towards your next shop at Iceland.

We've asked the other major supermarkets if they plan on running a similar offer - Sainsbury's told us it won't - and we will update this story when we hear back from others. 

Check if you think your child should be eligible for free school meals

If you're in England and you claim certain benefits, and think your child should be eligible for free school meals but isn't receiving them, you should check with your local council to find out if you qualify. 

Be aware that not all councils offer free school meal vouchers during school holidays as they may choose to run school holiday and food clubs instead, or provide other support.

Free school meals work slightly differently in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - see our free school meals guide for more.

The free schools meals scheme is separate to the Healthy Start scheme in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (it's slightly different in Scotland), which gives you £4.25 a week to put towards fresh fruit and veg if you're eligible, which you can currently get topped up by £2 a week if you shop at Sainsbury's.