Thousands of children can get for a FREE school lunch - but do you know if your child is eligible? The autumn term starts next week but some parents may not be aware of changes affecting their sons and daughters. Some youngsters who qualified in July for a free school meal will no longer be eligible in September, and others who do qualify will now need to apply. But how do you find out if your little one is entitled to a school meal? HullLive reports that the process isn’t as complicated as it might seem, but you need to act fast with the new school term approaching. Here, we have everything you need to know about free school meals - and how to get them. Who is entitled to free school meals in the UK? Under the universal free school meal system, every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England and Wales is entitled to a free hot lunch. This is regardless of their household income and has been the case since 2014. This remains in place for September. Parents do not need to … [Read more...] about Here’s how to find out if your child is entitled to free school meals in 2018
Entitled to free school meals
Thousands of Peterborough children are losing their eligibility to free school meals
0 Have your say More than a quarter of the pupils in Peterborough who could claim free school meals five years ago are no longer eligible for them. Children can claim free school meals if their parents receive certain benefits. As the number of benefit claimants in England has dropped in recent years, thousands of children have lost their right to free meals at school lunchtimes.The Child Poverty Action Group warned that the drop risked leaving some children without their only hot meal of the day.Alison Garnham, the charity's chief executive said: “At a time when more children are growing up in poverty, fewer are getting the help they need with free school meals. Out of a class of 30 kids, nine are growing up in poverty and six of these have working parents."When parents earn just above the threshold for a free meal children are at risk of losing what might be their only hot balanced meal of the day."School meals should be free for all as an important part … [Read more...] about Thousands of Peterborough children are losing their eligibility to free school meals
The changes to free school meals that will hit people on Universal Credit
Free school meal entitlement is being reviewed with the introduction of Universal Credit and some families may lose out. The Welsh Government is proposing to introduce an earned income threshold of £7,400 for Universal Credit claimants who want to claim free school meals for their children. The cut-off is being suggested because unless changed, current generous interim measures mean nearly half of all pupils would be entitled to free school meals in Wales once Universal Credit is introduced. Universal Credit will replace a number of “in-work” benefits, such as Working Tax Credit, receipt of which would not currently result in eligibility for free school meals. The Welsh Government says interim measures it introduced in 2013 to widen entitlement to ensure no-one lost out while Universal Credit was being rolled out must end or eligibility would rocket from 16% of pupils in January 2017 to almost half. It is therefore revising eligibility criteria for free school meals in … [Read more...] about The changes to free school meals that will hit people on Universal Credit
Free school meal rules to change
Wales By India Pollock BBC Wales social affairs correspondent 6 June 2018 Share this with Facebook Share this with Twitter Share this with Messenger Share this with Messenger Share this with Email Share Share this with These are external links and will open in a new window Email Share this with Email Facebook Share this with Facebook Messenger Share this with Messenger Messenger Share this with Messenger Twitter Share this with Twitter Pinterest Share this with Pinterest WhatsApp Share this with WhatsApp LinkedIn Share this with LinkedIn Copy this link https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-44385486 Read more about sharing. These are external links and will open in a new window Close share panel The way families are assessed for free school meals eligibility will be changed under Welsh Government plans.The education secretary said the change was needed to manage the … [Read more...] about Free school meal rules to change
Youngsters missing out on free school meals
Roughly one in five children in Kent who are entitled to free school meals are buying lunches.A Kent County Council report has revealed an estimated 21% of eligible primary school children are missing out on free lunches.On top of that, around 22% of eligible 15-year-olds are not claiming pupil premium, which can cover cost of school uniforms, trips and tutoring.Approximately 200,000 children aged four to 15 in England are forgoing their entitlements; 14% of those eligible.The report drafted by the county councillors on the pupil premium select committee states: "It is argued that the introduction of Universal Credit and free school meals for all infants makes the consistent identification of all disadvantaged pupils more difficult."Since 2014, all schoolchildren aged seven and below receive free meals regardless of their parents' income.Parents on universal credit earning up to £7,500 per year have to apply to the local authority for their child to continue to get free school … [Read more...] about Youngsters missing out on free school meals