Free school meals

It is the duty of the Local Education Authority (LEA) to provide a meal for those pupils who are eligible for free school meals. Schools and some colleges also offer this facility to students who are receiving a support payment in their own right, up to the age of 20 years.

1. Do I qualify for free school meals?

You will qualify for free school meals if you or your partner are receiving:

Income Support (IS)
Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (IB JSA)

Child Tax Credit (CTC), provided you do not also receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue, that does not exceed £15,575 or a Letter of Support under Part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

2. What do I do if my benefit stops?

You must tell the council’s benefit service immediately if the benefit or support payment which entitles you to free school meals stops.

If your benefit or support payment stops due to a change from one qualifying payment to another tell us straightaway as we may be able to award free school meals on a temporary basis until you can provide details of your new circumstances.

Free school meals application form

This form can be obtained from:

your child(ren)’s school
the Benefits Service at the First Stop Shop, Civic Centre, Darwall Street, Walsall, WS1 1XU – by calling in person or telephoning us on 0845 111 285576
Download and print an application form for free school meals (PDF 411KB)

3. How long will my child get free school meals?

Free school meals are awarded for the period of your qualifying benefit or support payment. It is important therefore that you tell us if your circumstances change.

Your entitlement to free school meals will be reviewed every six months. Approximately two weeks before your review date, a renewal letter and application form will be sent out to the address you have previously given. You are asked to fill it in and return either to your child/rens school or in the pre-paid envelope provided. Please sign, date and return with an up to date copy of your proof of benefit/qualifying support. On receipt of the qualifying information, free school meals will be renewed for a further six months.

4. What evidence do I need to provide?

If you receive Income Support

We need to see original documents showing that you receive Income Support. This means that we need all pages of your most recent Income Support breakdown letter from the Department for Work and Pensions giving details of your current entitlement to Income Support.

Plus

If your Income Support is paid into a bank/post office account/building society account we also need to see your last statement showing the payment. We can photocopy these documents free of charge at our customer reception.

If you receive Income Based Jobseekers Allowance

We need to see original documents showing that you receive Income Based Jobseekers Allowance.

This means that we need all pages of your most recent Income Based Jobseekers Allowance breakdown letter from Jobcentre Plus giving details of your current entitlement to Income Based Jobseekers Allowance.

Plus

If your Jobseekers Allowance is paid into a bank/post office account/building society account we will need to see your last statement showing the payment. We can photocopy these documents free of charge at our customer reception.

If you do not receive Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance please provide the following evidence:

Child Tax Credit

We need the most recent original documents showing that you receive Child Tax Credits. This means:

All pages of Inland Revenue tax credit award notice (TC602).
We also need to see original documents showing any other benefits you may receive including pension credits, widows benefit, incapacity, disability benefit or student support.

Please note: you will not qualify for free school meals if:

you have a gross yearly income in excess of £15,575 This figure excludes your child tax credits, or
you or your partner receive Working Tax Credit - this is a disqualifying benefit.

If you are an Asylum Seeker

We need to see original documents showing your National Asylum Support Service support notice or the IS96 document. We also need you to give details below of the authority providing support to you under part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

5. Why should I apply for free school meals if I do not wish my child/children to receive them?

We would like to ask you to consider registering your child/children as eligible for free school meals, whether or not you intend to take up the option of them actually having a free school meal. This is because a great deal of the funding that comes from the Government for schools in Walsall is based on the numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals. So by registering for free school meals you will be helping the funding of your child’s school.

6. Why have my free school meals been cancelled?

If you no longer qualify for free school meals because you no longer receive a qualifying benefit we will write to you to tell you.

If we have sent you a review form but we do not receive a completed review form back and we do not have any contact from you we will have to cancel the free school meals.

There may be other reasons why free school meals have been cancelled, if you are in any doubt at all please contact the Benefits Service.

7. How do I contact the Benefits Service?

Please contact us either at:

Benefits Service
Walsall Council
Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
West Midlands
WS1 1XU

Telephone 0845 111 2855
Email benefitsservice@walsall.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 28 April 2008