Is your child eligible for free school meals?

All children in Year R to 2 are eligible to Universal free meals however, you may also be eligible for free school meals up until your child leaves in year 6, if you receive any of the following benefits:

• 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.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of the above benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• in full-time education

If you are eligible for free school meal, or if you are unsure, please complete the Free School Meals Form on the KCC website.  The application is processed instantly and you will be notified immediately if you are/ are not eligible.

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.

For the school, this eligibility for free school meals also gives us access to additional funding of £1320 per year per child, which we use to give children eligible for free meals additional adult support and intervention tuition within school.

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) where you have to apply before each holiday and parents are also given access to food vouchers during school holiday times.

If you think you may be eligible, you can apply via this link:

https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals

Once you apply you will get an instant decision, which also automatically informs the school.

 

If you need any assistance or have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the school office or email office@joylane.kent.sch.uk