Free school meals – what is it and can I get it?
All children in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 are currently entitled to free school meals, regardless of your household income.
From Year 3 onwards, your children could get free lunches at school if you are receiving one of the benefits 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 Guarantee element of State 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’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they 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) at the time of your application. If your income goes above the threshold in the future, but you remain on Universal Credit, your child will still be eligible (see below). If you applied before 1 April 2018 there was no household income threshold for Universal Credit claimants.
If your child(ren) are in receipt of Free School Meals, you could also get:
- Free milk – in First or Special Schools milk at break-time will be free
- Help with music tuition and instruments
- Help with curriculum related residential trips or school visits
- Additional Pupil Premium support from the government
Registering for free school meals will be treated in strict confidence and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.
To find out more about free school meals, visit the Northumberland County Council website.
School Lunch Menus
Click the tab below to view the menus for weeks 1-3 for our pupils.
