Major change to free school meals for hundreds of thousands of kids in weeks – will you benefit?
THOUSANDS of kids are due to get free school meals at the start of the new term.
Major Sadiq Khan announced in February that 270,000 kids in London will benefit from the scheme.
Today he confirmed that the free school meals will be handed out automatically, meaning parents do not need to do anything to get the benefit.
This will be welcome news for many households who are struggling with the rising cost of living.
The one-off measure will save families around £440 a child across the year, according to the Mayor’s office.
Details of exactly how the scheme will work is not yet known, but it will cover all 32 London boroughs and the City of London.
It will be funded using income from business rates, which is higher than previously forecast.
In England, children who attend reception through to year two already get free school meals automatically regardless of their family’s income.
If you are living outside of London and want to check if you are eligible for free school meals you can check on gov.co.uk.
If you are eligible you will need to apply through your local council.
What are free school meals?
Free school meals are available to millions of pupils across England, Scotland and Wales.
The idea behind them is that children get access to at least one nutritional meal per day from Monday to Friday.
But the criteria to get them varies across all three countries.
Scotland and Wales have committed to eventually rolling out the benefit for all primary school pupils.
At present in Scotland, all students can get free school meals between Reception and Year Five, regardless of the parents’ income.
In Wales, all pupils in Reception get free school meals, and by the end of the year, this offer will be extended to all Year 1 and 2 pupils.
By the end of 2024, all primary school pupils in Wales will get free school meals.
In England, all children in Reception, Year 1 and 2 can get a free meal in school.
And in London for one year from September all primary school pupils will be eligible.
After that point, you will have to be receiving certain benefits which prove you need help paying for your child’s meals.
You might get free school meals in England for children beyond Year 2 if you receive one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Tax Credits
- Universal Credit
In all three nations, you qualify if you are in receipt of certain benefits regardless of income including: income support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
In England and Wales, this also includes the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, and working tax credit.
But for millions of families on Universal Credit, there are income requirements.
In England and Wales, you must have an income of £7,400 a year or less, not including benefits.
Those on child tax credits must earn under £16,190 a year.
Because eligibility criteria can be quite varied, it’s best to contact your local council and see what you might be in line for, especially if you are on a low income.
Other help is available for struggling families by way of the Household Support Fund (HSF).
Here you can find out more about the HSF and how you can apply.
Some local councils also offer grants to help with school uniform costs.