WHY SHOULD I APPLY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS?

• free school uniform at the point of becoming eligible
• discounts for school trip and visitors
• school receives additional funding to support the provision

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILD IS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS?

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• in full-time education

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.

A new free school meals self-service system for parents who are in receipt of qualifying benefits is now up and running! The system uses the same Citizen Portal that parents use to apply for school places, and the same log in details. Once they are logged in, parents will be able to see the eligibility criteria and enter their details where applicable.

All eligible families are currently in a period of protection and any pupil in receipt of free school meals on 31 March 2018 or after, should continue to receive free school meals until at least summer 2023 and this applies even if their circumstances change, and they would no longer meet the eligibility criteria.

A key part of the new system is the ability for parents to receive updates on their application and ongoing status without delay via email and portal messages.  The self-service system will replace the forms previously used by parents to make an application.