Changes to free school meal eligibility…

[AlwaysCoffee25]

”As of April 1st, 2025, the "transitional protection" for free school meals, which allowed continued eligibility even if income increased, will end. New applicants after this date, earning above £7,400 net per annum, will no longer be eligible”

I don’t see the big deal, if you need to reapply you can.

Whilst I think in an ideal world all children should free school meals the reality is we can’t sustain every concession as a county and stopping continued eligibility if your financial circumstances change seems sensible to me 🧐

Although it seems odd timing with free breakfast being introduced (it hasn’t reached my DC’s school) the cynic in me thinks it’s because they know the take up on breakfast will be significantly lower than lunches.

you paid to go to the major museums

Many museums that are free are so because they get lottery funding. Opening access to people is part of the criteria for the funding they apply for.

@Scrubberdubber your guess is as good as ours, she assumed once they started secondary it would stop, but it didn't, and still hasn't. Her kids bring home Asda vouchers before the summer holidays each year too!

It only lasts until the end of their stage of education ie primary school. Sounds like she isn't being truthful

Do you mean assuming the kids are poor because they live in a certain neighborhood? Don't think that would work tbh
There's streets round here with massive old buildings some of them have just one household living in the whole building as their house, others are split up into flats or bedsits where people have to share the kitchen and bathroom.

Eight years of financial support you don’t qualify for is a LOT of money.

Im Not saying it isn't, what I am saying is the story is bs. It lasts until the child finishes primary or secondary school. Primary school is seven years and secondary is five.

I am genuinely baffled by this thread. When did it change that you were awarded FSM and then continue to receive them indefinitely?

This has massive impact on school applications in some areas and university applications more generally.

My children received FSM while I was studying for my nursing degree and then immediately on earning they were stopped.

It’s still the case now - the change mentioned is being implemented in April.

i believe the logic was because of research showing how that period of being on FSM impact the entirety of your childhood. So the funding is to help continue to close the gap and catch up.
Obviously in some cases it’s ludicrous.

But it must have changed to that system at some point as it wasn't like that (indefinite FSM) when I had them. It was very formal being notified that we no longer got FSM and then subsequently, PP funding.

There won't be additional school staff - the existing ones'll 'just' have to fit it into the existing day for free.

The cost comes where LAs refuse to do it, meaning the schools have to pay for a private service to access the data the previous conservative government made available to them. And where parents don't reclaim, as if it's not there by 4th October, there's no PP for their children.

All of which was known by the previous government, as it was exactly how they set it up - and why they extended the protection around the 31 March for April. Had they won the General Election, they'd have let it run out as well.

This £7400 makes no sense at all. To be entitled to universal credit, if you have school aged children 3+, you have to work so many hours and earn a certain amount each month to qualify (more than 7400 per anun), this goes up the older your child gets. By the time they are at comp, you are expected to earn 35 hours at minimum wage (or equivalent to what that would be if you earn more and work less hours). Age 3-12 I think it’s around 20-25 hours. If you don’t earn that amount (and don’t have a disability or valid reason to not do so), you don’t get universal credit. So if the threshold is above £7400 to qualify, yet below £7400 to be entitled the FSM, how does anyone get them? I’m baffled.

It lasts until the end of school currently so year 11 or 13.After April 1st it will only last until the end of primary if you are currently in year six or below and you are not eligible when re assessed for year 7.

Basically the government messed up they awarded everyone on UC FSM rather than basing it on income when it was first introduced. They then tried to remove it , there was a legal challenge so they had to give FSM to anyone eligible until the end of the UC rollout . That applied whether they were in legacy benefits or UC. It was never meant to happen they were just lazy with the initial legislation.

No it doesn’t , currently it last until the end of your schooling . It is only after April that will change to end if current stage of education.

I thought it was only the evil tories that took food off kids.

Thatcher thatcher milk snatcher anyone?

This Labour Government does not follow Labour core values.

Sorry not true. My child gets fsm and I've always been told it will end when they finish primary.

Its never lasted for the entire school time

Sorry not true. My child gets fsm and I've always been told it will end when they finish primary.

Its never lasted for the entire school time

@Scrubberdubber secondary school kids who got it in primary were not retested when moving up in the last few years.

It was a Tory Policy from the outset - one that they kept kicking into the long grass for political purposes.

of course eligibility should be rechecked.

No, it doesn't. The pre election (and previous years) updates were made so that the transitional protection carried on for another year - which then followed with 'and until the end of that current phase of education'.

Yep and it's still a Tory policy now being adopted by Labour.

Shocking that Labour supporters condone it really. Although many don't. In our area most of the Labour led council has resigned their Labour party membership in the last week or so.

This will have a negative impact on children. No matter the spin that Labour & their supporters are now trying to put on it.

I didn't vote Labour in the last election because of the 'woman' issue. The 'cost saving measures' that they have introduced (including this one) impact women more than men.

Disgraceful.

Neverdropyourmooncup explains it better than me.
But that poster trying to say it lasted for the entire school time of a child was wrong. My child started school years ago and I was told the fsm last until the end of primary.

And after April it's going to change to being reassessed every year not just the end of the current stage of education. Currently it lasts until the end of the stage of education never the entirety of schooling