Free School Meals – Is Your Child Eligible?

Caerphilly County Borough Council is urging parents and guardians of school age children to find out if their child is eligible for free school meals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Children and young people who attend school on a full time basis may be entitled to received free school meals if their parent or guardian is in receipt of an of the following benefits/support payments:- ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income does not exceed £16,190
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ (the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

Young people who receive Income Related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit, Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance in their own right may also be eligible to receive free school meals. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Free school meals are available to those children and young people who attend school full time, including full days at nursey and sixth form students. However, free school meals are not available for young people who attend Further Education. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Parents and carers whose child receives free school meals can also receive a one off clothing grant of £105 when their child moves from primary school to secondary school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​