Free School Meals

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

Families in receipt of the following may be eligible to receive free school meals:

 

  • 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.

The online checking system only confirms or denies your eligibility to claim free school meals, it does not give us any other information.

If you are currently in receipt of either Universal Credit or the four week run on of Working Tax Credit you will need to send proof to us you have completed and saved your application.

When your eligibility has been confirmed and your application processed, you will be sent an email confirming eligibility. The school will also receive notification of your child’s application.

If your application is unsuccessful, the online checking system will continuously check your eligibility status and inform you and the school of any changes.

If your application is successful, your child(ren) will be eligible for free school meals until at least summer 2023, which is when the roll out of Universal Credit is due to be completed. This is irrespective of any changes to your financial circumstances

Pupils that are in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to free school meals through government funded Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) entitlement. If you are in  receipt of one of the above benefits, we recommend that you still apply as this will mean important funding is released to the school and your child can continue to receive free meals after the end of Year 2.

 

To apply for  Free School Meals please contact Warwickshire County Council Free School Meals on 01926 359189 or by applying online at;

Apply Here

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, schools are to continue supporting children eligible for benefits-related free school meals who are isolating at home during term time.

Where pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals are self-isolating at home, schools should work with their school catering team or food provider to provide good quality lunch parcels. This will ensure that eligible pupils continue to be supported for the short period where they are unable to attend school.

 

COVID-19

During the Covid-19 outbreak schools should provide meal options for all children who are in school, and meals should be available free of charge to all infant pupils and pupils who meet the benefits-related free school meals eligibility criteria.

Schools will also be supporting pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals that remain at home during the outbreak by using the Department for Education’s (DfE) centrally-funded national voucher scheme.

Schools will be using the Edenred portal to provide supermarket vouchers to the value of £15 each week or £3 each day to pupils eligible for free school meals. Vouchers can be ordered in one of two ways:

 

  • Parents can receive an eCode from the Edenred system, directly to their email account. This will include instructions on how to redeem the code to received their supermarket voucher
  • School can redeem the eCode and select an eGift voucher for the parent’s preferred supermarket on their behalf, and print and post out to them

 

Supermarkets that are included in the voucher scheme include:

  • Aldi
  • Asda
  • M&S
  • McColl’s
  • Morrisons
  • Sainsbury’s
  • Tesco
  • Waitrose

 

Vouchers can be presented in store by either:

  • presenting the voucher on a smartphone or tablet
  • presenting a paper copy of the voucher

 

Covid Summer Food Fund

The Covid Summer Food Fund has been launched by the government to support children who are eligible to free school meals during the summer holiday period. Schools will be able to support eligible pupils with a £90 voucher to cover the 6-week period.

Vouchers will work in the same way as the national free school meal voucher scheme as described above.

The vouchers do not need to be spent in full, in one transaction and parents can check the remaining balance of their eGift cards with the supermarket’s customer services.