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Help from your local council to pay for school meals. Available in England only.
Eligibility
If you get any of the following support payments your child may be entitled to receive free school meals:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed 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 – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
You can claim free school meals for children up to the age of 19 if they attend a school sixth form full time. They must be under 19 on 1 September, an application cannot be backdated.
What You Could Get
Free school meals are currently worth £1.90 per child per school day. The approval of your free school meals application may mean you also get financial help with curriculum related residential trips or school visits.
How to Claim
If you think your child is entitled to free school meals, you’ll usually need to fill in an application form supplied by your local council. Give your completed application to your child’s school and make sure you can show documentary proof of any support you are receiving.
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