Free School Meals

Every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 classes is now entitled to a free school meal under the government's universal infant free school meal scheme. This is not means-tested.

Your children may also qualify for means-tested free school meals if you meet the following criteria:

• You or your partner receive child benefit (for the child you are applying for), and
• the child is in full time education, under 19 years of age, and
• the child attends a local authority school or sixth form (but not a sixth form college). If your child attends nursery, then attendance must be for the full day in a nursery ran by Gateshead Council.

You and your partner must be in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA - IB)
• Guarantee Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related)
• Child Tax Credit - but not Working Tax Credit - and your income for Tax Credit purposes must be less than £16,190.00 (details are shown on your Tax Credit award notice)
• Working Tax Credit Run-on
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Universal Credit and your net earned family income is less than £7,400.

Receipt of one of the above benefits will be checked with the relevant government departments (HMRC, DWP and Home Office) and this may be done via the Eligibility Checking Service.

If you qualify for free school meals, it is important for your child's school that you apply - even if your children are in reception, year 1 or year 2 and they receive a school meal under the universal infant free school meal scheme. For every valid application, your child's school can claim extra funding for resources such as extra tuition, teaching assistants or after-school clubs.

Children who receive a free school meal are not singled out in any way.