Meals

The Academy offers Free School Meals in respect of children under the age of 19 where the parent or guardian is in receipt of one of the benefits shown below:

• 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: your child is only eligible for free schools meals under Universal Credit if you and your partner have net earnings of less than £7,400 per year. We’ll check your earnings with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This criteria came into place on Sunday, 1 April 2018. However:
  • If your child was eligible for free school meals before Sunday, 1 April 2018, they’ll stay eligible until Thursday, 31 March 2022, regardless of if you or your partner’s income changes.
  • After Thursday, 31 March 2022, your child will stay eligible until the end of their current phase of education. For example, if your child is in year 4 in 2022, they will remain eligible until they finish primary school but will no longer be eligible for free school meals in secondary school if you and your partner’s net income is more than £7,400 per year.
  • Before Sunday, 1 April 2018, any sibling living with a child who received free school meals would automatically qualify. This is no longer the case. This means a child who receives free school meals until March 2022 may have a sibling who is not eligible because their parent’s net income is over the threshold of £7,400 per year at the time their application is made.

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

If you live in Lancashire, click here for more information.