Free School Meals
If you (or anyone with parental responsibility for your child) receive a means-tested benefit, there are several other entitlements you may be eligible for, such as free school meals for your children.
Why apply for Free School Meals?
In addition to further financial support for you and your family, you will be helping the school (and therefore your child) as we will then be able to claim pupil premium funding from the Government. This is worth up to £955 per eligible pupil and is used to help ensure that no pupil in the school faces financial barriers to accessing an excellent education.
How to apply for Free School Meals
If you think your child is eligible to receive free school meals, you can check eligibility using the Free School Meals Eligibility Checker on the following website https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/. Please note you will need your National Insurance number to complete the form on the website. Once on the page, click on “Check eligibility” and on the next page click on “Proceed”, you will need to choose Sutton as the Local Authority and Wilson's School. Please also send the Finance Office (finance@wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk) a copy of the certificate of eligibility obtained by successful applicants after completing the form so that we can process your Free School Meals application.
If you have any questions or need further advice, please contact the Finance Office at the school for a confidential conversation.
You should apply for free school meals if you (or anyone with parental responsibility for your child) receive one of the benefits listed below.
- 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 guarantee 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' — the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they 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) at the time of your application. If your income goes above the threshold in the future, but you remain on Universal Credit, your child will remain eligible. If you applied before 1 April 2018 there was no household income threshold for Universal Credit claimants.
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
