Free School Meals

Free School Meals

Did you know that Universal Credit is currently a qualifying benefit for Free School Meals? If you receive Universal Credit then your children are entitled to a free meal in school. Claiming free school meals could save you almost £490 per child per year, and could enable the school to gain over £900 per year extra funding for every child as well. So even if your child doesn’t take the free meal, or your child gets a free meal because they are currently in reception or Key stage 1, you should apply now if you feel you are eligible.

Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

Universal Credit

Provided you have an annual net income of no more than £7,400

This is assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods

Income Support

Income-based Job Seekers Allowance

Income related Employment and Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

The guarantee element of Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit

Provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190

Working Tax Credit run on

Paid four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

If you’re currently claiming free school meals, but don’t meet the above criteria, your child will continue to receive free school meals until the end of the Universal Credit roll-out period, which isn’t scheduled to end until March 2022. Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, your child will keep their free school meals entitlement until the end of their current phase of education, i.e primary to secondary.

To make sure that you don’t miss out please apply now. You can access the online application by Clicking here.

For full information on Free School Meals please visit the School Meals section on Northumberland County Council’s website.

https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Education/Schools/Meals.aspx