A lot of people don't apply for free school meals. That's why we are continuing with our campaign to encourage all families to register regardless of if they believe they may be eligible.
You don’t need to worry about other children knowing your child gets free school meals. Only the school, and in secondary schools the catering staff, will know.
You could save £400 a year for each child and your children could benefit from a good hot meal at lunchtime. The school will benefit too as they’ll get the pupil premium of £1,000 a year from the government for each child eligible for free school meals.
Applying for free school meals
You can sign up for free school meals at any time of year.
You or your partner can claim for your children, as long as you live at the same address.
You do not have to fill in a separate form for each child, even if they go to different schools. Just name the child and which school they go to.
Click Here and fill in the form to make an application.
Free school meal entitlement
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you (or the young person themselves, where appropriate) get any of the following:
- Universal Credit, provided they have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit* (WTC) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) as assessed by HRMC
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit has begun to be rolled out in Derbyshire and will affect all areas of Derbyshire by the end of 2022
Most families will not be affected by the new criteria. Families who are currently claiming free school meals, but fail to meet the new criteria, will continue to receive free school meals until the end of the Universal Credit rollout period, even if they continue to appear as no longer eligible on future reports. The rollout period is currently scheduled to end in March 2022.
Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, pupils will keep their free school meal entitlement until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary.
Please click on the following links to find out more information with regards to the Household Support Fund and the Holiday Food and Activity Programme.
