Free school meals

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

Parents claiming some benefits can be entitled to free school meals for any of their children who are registered at a Staffordshire school. School meals are a good way to ensure that your child eats well at lunchtime, and you can save yourself time and money.

This is different to Reception and KS1 pupils all receiving a free school lunch (UIFSM). If you meet the criteria, you will also receive free school lunches in KS2. Even if you don’t want your children to have the meals, claiming them helps the school to receive extra funding to support all pupils in receipt of free school meals. The more eligible parents who claim meals, the more funding school receives.

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 compulsory age for starting school
in full-time education

If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible for free school meals. Ask the school or local authority whether they’re eligible.

To make a claim please use the online application form https://apps2.staffordshire.gov.uk/web/fsmweb/
Once you have made a claim and have been accepted, please let the school office know so that we can update our records.