To not understand the threshold for free school meals?

[AllTheBloodyWashing]

I am a lone parent to 11 year old twins who are starting secondary school this week.
I work part time and earn under £16000pa
and get a top-of universal credit, I applied for free school meals for my dc but it has come back and I have been declined.

I’m honestly so upset and really don’t know how I’m going to cope with this extra payment each week for my dc to eat at school, I’m barely scraping by as it is and have just used my last £20 to top-up their dinner cards so they can at least have something for the next two days.

so aibu to not really get the threshold for it, when so many families are really struggling at the moment.

the threshold is little untrue though

my income from benefits amounts to £340 a week and £25 a week CMS and my son gets FSM and always has

no help with uniform that stopped years ago but i find that ok to afford

No they don't.

But under transitional arrangements for FSM until UC rollout is fully complete any children currently eligible for FSM will continue to be eligible regardless of any change in circumstances until March 2024 (it was March 2023 but then Covid happened).

The Ever6 measure is for Pupil Premium only (alongside LAC & service children).

Lots of children at my child’s secondary school take a packed lunch OP, sometimes to avoid the queue but I’m sure cost must be an issue for many families. My son used to buy lunch for a about £3 a day but my daughter prefers to take something from home as do most of her friends. It’ll be much cheaper for you and they won’t be the only ones if our school is anything to go by.

£7400 is so low, too low in my opinion, that’s really shocked me.

So if your income from working is over £7400, you don't get FSM, but if it's over £7400 from benefits, you do get FSM's?

i have no idea but my 2 eldest got them,well primary they didnt like so i made them pack lunches but senior it was canteen so they had that and took anything from home if they wanted

but yeah its not quitewhat i say's

Buying lunch is a luxury. We have a high household income but the kids take packed lunches because they are far better value for money and you can make them much healthier. Couple of rolls with some ham in can cost as little as 60 or 70p, crisps cost pennies, fruit can be 30p. A bar from a multipack maybe 25p.

It’s rubbish that you don’t qualify for FSM but if you can I would pack them a lunch as the school meals I’ve come across are crap and pretty expensive!

In primary they get a proper meal and pudding.

I see teens walking around with a slice of pizza or burger as their lunch.
For the same cost they could have a much healthier, more filling packed lunch.

If you’ve got twins then school dinners would not be affordable at all.

Just to be clear, I didn't make the rules! I just goggled it for the OP. Getting a lot of angry responses to my post.

Mine had packed lunches most of the time y7/8/9 because they preferred it. I think lots do. Eggs for breakfast and food When they get in. Flapjacks rather than crisps/choc fill gaps and mine like them.

Can't you do pack lunches for less than £5 per day?

@PicaK no it's not, it's pupil premium not free school meals.

Lots of secondary schools do a set meal of £2.50 main and pudding. They can take their water bottles.

It's shit that 16kpa isn't classed as in need of fsm. When you add all the top ups, what is your monthly income?

It’s all your fault! 😜 I think people are just shocked.

That is ridiculously low. How are so many people qualifying for this? How many hours a week is that at NMW?

Essentially the children getting it come from homes where there is no parent working full time.

It's about 16h a week at NMW.

not being funny but it was similar when my son went to a college to do his Alevels 20 miles away he was entitled to help with thavel,bus and train though i paid towards that and books;equipment etc and the canteen

my income was higher than now as i had 3 dependants now only one but it does seem that they only take certain things into concideration

but i know thats not much help when you cant get them and others do,im just being honest

Claiming FSM puts you on the Pupil Premium Register (for the next six years after your claim stops) though, so it's the same thing.

So if your income from working is over £7400, you don't get FSM, but if it's over £7400 from benefits, you do get FSM's?

It would appear so, which is mad.

I was shocked that the limit for Dts is £6 a day, £60 a week. We're relatively high earning, can't do it. They're having packed lunch.

In my experience as a teacher, it tends to only be the free school meal children who buy food at school because others just can’t afford it. We have one child and we cannot afford to buy school dinners for him, so he takes a packed lunch.

Just because it's under that threshold doesn't mean that's all the family have. It doesn't include any benefits you get. You could not work and get more than 7k a year in benefits and still get FSM. It's an income from working that goes to that threshold.

www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

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:
• younger than the compulsory age for starting schooll_
• in full-time education
If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.

This has some quite relevant statistics
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2021/10/how-free-school-meal-eligibility-has-been-changing-and-why-we-might-need-new-measures-of-disadvantage/

your spot on and explained it well
it's some times hard to understand

It isn't based on wages + benefits. Just earned income.