Who can get free school meals?

Infant age pupils

From September 2014, if you have an infant age child (those in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2) they can receive free school meals even if you don't meet the entitlement criteria listed above and without completing our application form. However, for every pupil registered with the council as eligible under the entitlement criteria, the school will receive additional funding called Pupil Premium, which is used to help raise achievement levels. Each school will decide how to spend the funding and are required to publish how they spent it and what impact it has had. So that schools (and pupils) can continue to benefit from this extra funding, it is important that parents who do meet the criteria continue to register a claim with the council if they meet the entitlement criteria above.

You can claim free school meals for your children if you are in receipt of 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)

Please note that children being fostered are not normally eligible to claim free school meals as the fostering allowance paid is intended to cover the cost of the provision of meals for the child.

To prevent a delay in your claim, please don't apply before either:

• Your eligibility to working tax credit has ended but you are still receiving child tax credit and have a household income (as used by HMRC to assess tax credits) of less than £16,190, or receive one of the qualifying benefits listed above or;
• Your claim for a qualifying benefit has been accepted and the start date for the benefit has passed or;
• You have received your benefit or tax award notice showing that you meet the eligibility criteria.
• Please note we are unable to backdate a claim for entitlement to free school meals to cover unpaid money or refund money paid prior to the start date of a successful application.