Does your child qualify?  

Free School Meals are only available to those pupils whose parent/guardian receive one of the following:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit with no Working Tax Credit and have an income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue that does not exceed £16,040.00
• Support under Part IV of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
• Employment Support Allowance (Income Related) (ESA-IR).

For pupils to be eligible for free school meals they must be receiving education before and after the lunch period.  Pupils that attend Nursery schools, Colleges that provide specific Post-16 courses or Independent schools are not entitled to free school meals.  

Your child can start having free school meals from the day when your application form is received by us.  

How to apply for the first time  

You can get the application form for Free School Meals from the Home to School Transport Team, from your child's school or see 'Downloads'.  It should be printed out and then returned by post to: Family Services, Home to School Transport, County Hall, Wakefield WF1 2QL. 

Backdating your child's entitlement  

As we have already mentioned, your child will normally start having free school meals from the day we receive your application form. If you can show us that there are exceptional circumstances to your case, we may be able to backdate your child's entitlement to free school meals. We will ask you to give us evidence of these circumstances. You will have to make your request in writing. 

Exceptional circumstances are, for example, situations when the Job Centre Plus has taken a long time to make a decision about your benefit or when your Income Support has been backdated after you appealed.  If we decide to backdate your child's entitlement to free school meals, you may be given a refund.  

We would not be able to give you any refund if your only reason for not applying sooner is that you did not know how to apply.  

If you are unhappy with our decision, you can appeal. Your appeal must be made in writing. You should address it to Family Services, Home to School Transport, County Hall, Wakefield WF1 2QL.