Free School Meals Eligibility

Free School Meal slight change in the eligibility rules (highlighted in red)

The GOV.UK website explains that a child may be eligible for free school meals (FSM) if their parents are in receipt of any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided the parents are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
• Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax credit
• Universal Credit – for those applying on or after 1 April 2018, their household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits they get)

Children may also get FSM if they receive any of these benefits directly, instead of through a parent. If you think that you are eligible for Free School Meals, please contact Hackney Learning Trust on 020 8820 7000.