Free School Meal eligibility runs from 1st September through to the 31st August. It is imperative that you apply or renew your Free School Meal entitlement before the 30th June to ensure your eligibility continues in to the new academic year. Failure to renew by this date may temporarily cease your entitlement for the next academic year.
There are a number of JCoSS students who are eligible for Free School Meals who currently don’t have an active claim.
It is vital that those who are eligible receive them for two reasons:
1) Free School Meals (FSMs) are an entitlement and ensure that all children have a daily healthy meal at school;
2) The Pupil Premium announced by the government involves a redistribution of funding towards schools with significant numbers of FSM students. As a school with relatively few students qualifying for FSMs, this is a very worrying immediate threat to our income and we need to ensure that as a school we receive the income to which we are entitled.
The criteria for qualifying for FSMs, set by the government, include families who are in receipt of one of the following:
- Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
- 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 Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190
If you fulfil the above criteria, or think that you do, please complete and submit the form below ASAP. Please note that you will need to include documentary proof of receipt of the above from a government agency. If you do not have this documentary proof then we are able to check eligibility centrally with the parent surname, National Insurance number and parent date of birth – please complete these sections on the form.
Thank you for your active support in this matter.
Yours sincerely
Mr D Hart
Data Manager
For information about the eligibility and the documents you need to provide to support your application, please click here to read the notes.
Please note that if you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit your children will not be entitled to free school meals regardless of any other credits you may receive.
