Free school meals

[mrshoho]

Following a successful application for free school meals in April 2020 as part of a new universal credit claim, will it carry on indefinitely or do you need to reapply every year? Also if your circumstances change and you notify universal credit will the free school meals stop automatically? I've searched but only find information that refers to being in receipt of working tax credits. Thank you.

Free school meal claims are considered 'protected' so run for a maximum of 6 years from date of claim without needing renewal.
If you were eligible (due to low income and universal credit claim) for your child in reception they remain eligible until they finish primary school even if your income increases significantly.
If your child become ineligible at high school age they are considered to be 'ever 6' which doesn't qualify them for free school meals but they continue to qualify for additional funding that the schools can claim.
Hope that helps

Thank you Beccy that is very helpful. I was worried that we were receiving them in error and would need to pay them back at some point. The first month on universal credit our income was zero but the next month my husband's self employed grant plus my earnings meant we were not entitled to any universal credit payment. So even if we don't receive any universal credit for a period the free school meals vouchers will still be paid?

I'm not sure that's correct. I think you need to notify your local authority if you no longer qualify via UC and fsm will.stop. Your child will get pupil premium for 6 years though.

Ignore my post , seems no matter how much you earn from now on they keep the free school meals entitlement to the end of the education phase. Tbh I'm surprised at that from a Tory government but that's good news for you.

Crazy that you could just be on a low income for a short period of time, yet receive fsm for years on end.

It doesn't seem right at all. We are still on a low income as husband is still shielding so may qualify for universal credit next month but hopefully he will go back to earning what he was when this is over and we wouldn't need fsm. Likewise with the pupil premium going to their schools.

Doesn't sound like a typical Tory measure I must admit.