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Free School Meals

Are your Children Eligible for Free School Meals?

Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in:

  • Reception class
  • Year 1
  • Year 2

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

  • 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 (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:

How to Apply:

Completing the application should take around 15 minutes.

To speed your application up, please ensure that you provide any evidence asked for as soon as possible. This might include:

  • A letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Jobcentre Plus confirming your current benefits and dated within the last 6 weeks
  • Child Tax Credit award letter (TC602(A)) for the current tax year
  • Take the completed application form to your Jobcentre Plus or DWP office and ask them to stamp the form to confirm which benefits you receive
  • Proof of asylum status, such as your Home Office paperwork showing your NASS number

Once the application form is completed you can send it to Pupil Benefits using any of the following options. You can:

Pupil Benefits
Loxley House
Nottingham City Council
Station Street
Nottingham
NG2 3NG

Changes to your circumstances 

Changes to your circumstances may mean that you are no longer entitled to claim a free school meal for your child(ren) and you could be charged for them. So, please let us know about any changes as soon as possible.

The quickest way you can let us know is to email us at pupil.benefits@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Download an application form here

  1. Application for FSM for sch and academies.pdf
    PDF File

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