To claim free school dinners?

[Eileen101]

The free school dinners expansion is coming in September 2026 and will mean that anyone receiving universal credit will get free school dinners for their children.

I've been looking forward to this as it will be helpful for my oldest who has aged out of the universal scheme for KS1 and my youngest who will age out of the universal scheme in Sept 27. It will save me a minimum of £30 per month, moving to approx £60 when they're both out of KS1 which is a real help in my budget. As a single parent there's not a lot of wiggle room and I was quite looking forward to it coming in in Sept 26.

However the school trust has announced financial difficulty and the teachers are striking over the the financial management and the central charges going to the trust.
I'm feeling guilty about the fact that my children will be eligible for FSM. Should I not claim them after all despite eligibility?

Of course you should claim them. The more people that do the more the need becomes clear to the people who watch the numbers (am posting from Wales where all children in primary education are entitled to FSMs).

You’re entitled to it. Let the school deal with their own issues. But don’t the government pay for the free school meals anyway? Not the school. I’m in London so everyone gets free school meal but my understanding is that it’s funded, not a cost to the school

This.

Yeah the central charges to the trust are usually for very highly paid people who aren’t frontline.

claim fsm. You will be entitled to and it increases government funding for the school

Unless it's changed very recently it's actually good for schools finding wise if people who are entitled to school dinners claim them.

Of course you should claim if you’re eligible.

This! The school will want you to take them if entitled.

It’s not the school giving you free meals, it’s the government, so take them if entitled

you claim what you are entitled to. You should not think twice about this.

This. It helps the school to claim it.

I'm not sure about the voting here.

YANBU to claim it - it's different budget.
YABU to feel guilty and co sider not claiming it.

Yeah the school isn't paying for the meals out of its own pocket. Of course you should take it. The more kids on fsm the more funding the school could get, surely?

Of course you should claim it! You need to do what’s best for your kids and that extra money will come in handy for you.

Claim them. Schools get more funding if they have a higher proportion of pupils claiming FSM. And I don't just mean to cover the cost of the meals, but additional funding for learning to offset the challenges that are assumed to exist in less affluent catchment areas.

You shouldn’t be doubting yourself just because the school has some issues that aren’t your responsibility to think about.
With or without their problems, they will have to offer FSM to everyone who is entitled to them. And just because you can claim them, DOES mean you should!

The schools want people to be claiming free school meals. They get additional funding for everyone who is eligible. Ours are regularly asking parents to check if they’re eligible so they can get more money.

Claim it, why wouldn’t you?! I am intrigued by your numbers though , £30 a month?! When Dts were in primary it was £120/month!

Of course you should claim it. You are meant to. The school financial mismanagement is not your problem.

Claim without hesitation and feel no guilt whatsoever about it. It actually helps the school finances - they get reimbursed for FSM, plus schools get extra funding for having higher number of children who have FSM. And more to the point, it helps you feed your children, which is what it’s there for.

I absolutely hate that the school has communicated so poorly with you that you are considering not claiming FSM your children are going to be entitled to. Any situation with the financial difficulties of the Trust is not relevant to FSM at all and whether or not you or anyone else claims school dinners won’t have an impact. It’s their problem and responsibility to make the budget balance. Either they should have explained the situation far more clearly to parents or they shouldn’t have brought it to your attention at all.

It disadvantages the school if those that are entitled don’t claim.

Yes, please claim.

All schools including the one i work in, are absolutely desperate for parents who might be eligible to apply.

You should apply now - school census in January sets the numbers for Pupil Premium, which gives additional funding for children who have been eligible for FSM

It doesn't matter that your child receives universal free school meals, pupil premium funding is separate. In primary it's an extra £1480 per child per year.

I will be claiming in September. It will save us about £50 a month.

Our head teacher specifically asked for everyone to claim free school meals (as in register / fill in the paperwork) even if they don't use it.

Doesn't cost the school. It actually significantly increases funding (by nowhere near enough, but still significantly).

So do claim whether or not you intend taking the meals.

Claim for both children. Its not just about Meals... the school gets extra funding per PP child.