Please click on the link below for the most up to date guidance on Free School Meals.

Who can apply for Free School Meals?

If your child attends a state school, and you get one or more of the following you can get free school meals:

• Universal Credit, and your annual household income is £7,400 per annum (£616 per month) or less after tax, and not including any benefits
• Income Support 
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance 
• Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act, 1999 
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual income is less than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC 
• Guaranteed Pension Credit 
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance 
• Working Tax Credit run-on paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

What is Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is extra money paid direct to schools for each child who is eligible for Free School Meals. It is used to support your child's education. Please apply for free schools meals if you are eligible so that St Wulstan's gets this money.

Who qualifies for Universal Infant Free School Meals?

All children in Reception, Years 1 and 2 receive Universal Infant Free School Meals. If you are not on benefits, there is no need to apply, you just need to speak to your school about arranging for these to start.

How do I apply for free school meals and / or universal free school meals?

If you need support in applying for free school meals, please contact Mrs Brown in the school office.

Alternatively, you can complete an online Free School Meals Application Form.

What happens after I have completed my application?

• your eligibility for free school meals will be checked using the Government’s automated Eligibility Checking System (ECS) checker the application is processed by the Free School Meal team
• if you qualify for a free school meal a message will be sent to you confirming your free school meal award and your child or children's school will be contacted
• please contact your child's school to find out how your child's lunch will be served

Please note:  

• free school meals cannot be granted to any child until we have received a correctly completed application
• entitlement to free school meals cannot be backdated
• schools will know if your child qualifies for a universal infant free school meal

What happens if my circumstances change?

If your child has free school meals, and you no longer receive benefits or there is a change in your immigration status, your child can still have a free school meal until the end of the Universal Credit Roll Out. The Government has said this will be no earlier than July 2025 for the protection period to end. This could be longer and will depend on when your child moves up to the next stage of education. 

After July 2025 or your child moving up to the next stage of education which ever is later, your free school meals should continue unless your finances change.

Any further siblings are unable to be added when you are no longer eligible under of the above criteria, however all children in Key Stage 1 children (those in reception, year 1 and year 2) will receive a Universal Infant Free School Meal regardless of any change of circumstances including economic or immigration status.

For claims made on Worcestershire's portal, the Eligibility Checking System provided by the Department for Education is used to reconfirm your economic entitlement. You will be sent messages if there are any changes to your child's status. Please note the online checking system only confirms or denies your eligibility to claim free school meals: it does not give any other information. If your entitlement cannot be confirmed through this process, you will be contacted to ask for up-to-date evidence of the benefit you receive.

Will I need to re-apply if my child changes school?

If your child has moved to a different school during the current school year, known as in year transfers, you will need to make a new application once you have confirmed their start date.

If your child is moving up to a middle or high school their free school meal entitlement with normally move with them to the new school. You do not need to make a new application if you have accepted the school place offered. Please let us know if your child is going to a different school than the one that was accepted in Spring. 

If your child is starting school in September, we’ll give you a provisional answer when you apply and will confirm a final decision in July.