Free school meals: are you eligible?

MSE_Rosie

This is the place to discuss our new free school meals guide.

We'd love to hear your thoughts, personal experiences, and general feedback. 

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LADYXXMACBETH

I have been receiving free school meals since I made my UC claim last year. It's an amazing help. Some days I don't always have the best food in the house, for example I don't have the money for fresh fruit or vegetables and many a week I've been left with nothing. 
With free school meals I at least know my son has had something to eat and I don't feel too guilty about giving him beans on toast. 
The vouchers I get during the holidays are great too. It can be a struggle to know where you're going to find the money for food when they aren't at school. It can pay for a few luxuries like ice cream that during this hot spell is something I wouldn't normally buy. 

calcotti

The guide is very unclear about the earnings limit for UC and CTC. Given that you have to apply each year it would appear from the guide that one would need to meet the earnings limit each year and that if earnings have increased one would no longer be eligible.

However, as I understand it, at the moment once qualified the child remains eligible for FSM for the remainder of the phase of education they have already started by 31 March 2023 regardless of changes in earnings.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals
This rule may change in April 2023.

My expectation is that the rule will be extended until at least late 2024 when the transfer of all benefit claimants to UC has been completed (if the government meet the transfer target they have set themself).
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May also be worth noting that if a child attends an academy they may have to apply for FSM direct to the school. The local authority website should make this clear.
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May also be worth noting that if you claim FSM, not only does this support the child, it also increases funding for the school through the Pupil Premium.

GaleSF63

LADYXXMACBETH said:

I have been receiving free school meals since I made my UC claim last year. It's an amazing help. Some days I don't always have the best food in the house, for example I don't have the money for fresh fruit or vegetables and many a week I've been left with nothing. 
With free school meals I at least know my son has had something to eat and I don't feel too guilty about giving him beans on toast. 
The vouchers I get during the holidays are great too. It can be a struggle to know where you're going to find the money for food when they aren't at school. It can pay for a few luxuries like ice cream that during this hot spell is something I wouldn't normally buy. 

Don't feel guilty about the beans on toast. The worst thing about it is that it might get boring but nutritionally it's ok. 

oddballdave

What is the situation for Self Employed on Universal Credit? Because it is my main (only) income I am classified as Gainfully Self Employed (GSE) and am subject to the Minimum Income Floor (MIF). Regardless of how low my income is for this month I am assumed to have made at least the MIF, and my benefit is calculated accordingly. My council tax discount, based on low earnings, also uses this imaginary number. Since the MIF is usually the equivalent of 35 hours at Minimum/Living wage, this is above the threshold for free school meals. So my question is - Does the free school meals threshold work off ACTUAL income or the imaginary MIF?

Yamor

The Regulations are not the clearest on this point, but DfE guidance seems fairly clear that no MIF is applied.

This is because they do not simply use the UC figure for self-employed income, but instead expect you to confirm as part of the application for free school meals that you earned below the relevant threshold in the relevant period, and potentially have to back that up with evidence.

sheramber

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65fdad5965ca2f00117da947/Free_school_meals.pdf