Free school meals

These are the Government’s eligibility criteria for benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM):

• 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 guaranteed element of 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
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018, your household income must be less than £7,400 a year. This is equalt to £616.67 a month (after tax and not including any benefits you get) to qualify for benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM)

If you are entitled to Working Tax Credit (apart from during the four-week run-on period), you will not qualify for FSM, regardless of your income.

If you are receiving Child Tax Credit only, your annual income must be less than £16,190 to qualify.

Schools within Wolverhampton

We cannot check applications for children attending:

• College
• St Peter's Collegiate school

Schools outside Wolverhampton

If your child goes to one of the following schools, we can check your eligibility. Any other schools outside Wolverhampton should apply direct to them (or their Local Authority)

• All Saints’ CE Primary, Trysull
• Bird’s Bush Primary, Tamworth
• Coleridge Primary, Rotherham
• East Dene Primary, Rotherham
• Eastwood Village Primary, Rotherham
• Mesty Croft Primary, Wednesbury
• St Benedict Biscop CE Primary, Wombourne
• Stanley Road Primary, Worcester

If your child already has an FSM claim in place, please do not apply again.

If your child does not already have an FSM claim in place, please apply through your child/ren's school/s or college.

You will need to provide:

• your full name
• date of birth
• and National Insurance (NI) number or National Asylum Support Service (NASS) reference number

Your child's school will then share your details with us. We will check eligibility using a secure Government website. If we find you eligible for FSM, your child's school will let you know.

Schools receive valuable Government funding (Pupil Premium) for every child registered for FSM. Even if your child chooses not to eat school meals, we would still encourage you to register.

Or, you can apply online for a single check using our Free School Meals Eligibility Checker.

Apply online

If your child has a benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) claim valid between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2023, they will remain eligible for free school meals until the end of the phase of education (e.g. primary or secondary) they are in as at March 2023, even if you have a change in circumstance (apart from claimants who receive National Asylum Support or Pension Credit).

If you no longer receive NASS or Pension Credit, you should tell your child’s school or the FSM Eligibility Checking Service direct. We will then recheck your eligibility.

Transitional Protection does not apply to siblings who don’t have a claim registered in their own name.

UIFSM are not the same as benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM).

You do not need to register for UIFSM.

All children in Reception, Years 1 and 2 can enjoy school meals for free, regardless of their parents’ financial circumstances.

Your child's school may ask if your child will be taking meals so that they can make the necessary arrangements.

Arrangements and school meal providers vary across the City.

Please ask your child/ren’s school/s any questions you may have about menus, charges and special diets.

For more information about free school meals please:

E-mail: freeschoolmeals@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Telephone: 01902 554128

Write:
Free School Meals
Facilities Management
City of Wolverhampton Council
Hickman Avenue Building
Chillington Fields Industrial Estate
Off Hickman Avenue
Wolverhampton
WV1 2BY