Free School Meal Entitlement

[Magmum75]

A scenario is likely to occur where two parents are splitting up, Parent A is a six-figure wage earner, Parent B is applying (at least temporarily) for Universal Credit and therefore eligible to apply for free school meals for the children.

Parents doing 50:50 care, so no monies changing hands. I can't find info on whether the free school meal scheme would cover 50% of the costs for Parent B, or whether its all or nothing???

FSM entitlement goes with the child if eligible. So every day regardless of where the child is staying they will be able to get the free school meal at school. Currently under transition arrangements now until March 2025. The school will get pupil premium (extra funding) which they are able to use to support students in various ways.

But gosh that is a very big income difference between the households. That is concerning.

As above, parent claiming universal credit can apply for free school meals if eligible. Universal credit doesn’t mean you will be entitled though.

My friend gets fsm for the child she doesn't get benefit for as it goes on her household. These parents need to be strategic about who can claim what.

There's the moral dilemma as well. Should the government be funding free food for a child when one parent is earning within the top 1% in the UK???

How any six figure earner can find it acceptable that their child receives fsm is beyond me, especially when it's 50: 50 care.

Same as these Uni students who get full maintenance loans by putting down that they live with the lower earner when the dad( usually) are earnings a bloody fortune. Kids of parents who haven't split get a much lower loan and the parents are struggling to help them. It's very unfair and something that should be looked into. My ds's gf got full student loan as mum has never worked and lived off the maintenance that her dad pays yet he is a high earning businessman with a business worth million.

Its all or nothing. To get free school meals you have to be earning a really low amount of money ( less than £600 or so a month I think). I’m assuming that the parent claiming UC will probably get a job and become ineligible. I get UC and don’t get fsm or free dental care as I earn above the cut off point. It’s worth applying in the short term as there is normally a uniform grant if you get free school meals it’s £100 or £125 in senior school in my LA area but check with yours.

@Babyroobs I totally agree with you on the maintenance loan or grants / bursaries, especially unfair when you see them jetting off on exotic holidays and receiving generous funding from the DF while those who are really in financial difficulties go without.

I'm just pondering on this topic as a friend of mine is a bit put out with their ex in this type of situation and I found myself umming and ahhing as to what I thought was fair myself! As far as I'm aware, if children have ever been eligible for free school meals, then they become eligible for pupil premium which stays with them throughout their education as its recognised they have been disadvantaged (so eligible for free schools meals and any pupil premium funding for trips etc). Which is right and fair enough. But I expect its an aged system based on the "nuclear" family and hasn't adjusted yet to all the different relationship possibilities there are more of these days.

My friend's school seems to send out a voucher to one parent, which doesn’t feel right when there is a split. My friend feels hard done by as it was their circumstances which triggered the eligibilty. Their ex's financial situation hasn't changed but is the one that receives the vouchers and gives half of them to the other parent (they parent 50:50) - friend thinks they should get them all but I'm not so sure! The ex has carried a lot more for their kids to make up for the others shortfall, in terms of holidays, nice clothes and fun things etc, so has been affected in ways (not a massive earner though, top 1% doesn't feel right!). Nightmare for hostile breakups though. I don't know what schools can do really.

Eligibility stays with the child (which seems sensible to me) for a key stage with some current transition rules, so the child at (state) school regardless of parental habitat receives their FSM. The holiday vouchers are much newer, really introduced over COVID times. We send to the parent who made the original claim. But if a child changes which parent/carer they stay with (long-term) then the voucher can be redirected, but please dont expect the school to get involved in discussions. And 50:50 shared care cannot be managed by any system financially.

Yes that seems fair to me @thelionthewitchtheaudacityofTHISbitch - that it's sent to the parent who made the claim. It shouldn't be an administrative responsibility for the school, it should come from the council IMO. Re: you saying the school won't enter a discussion, does that mean there is no recourse if a parent who made the claim doesn't receive it? That's quite a concern in the OP's scenario, that a child won't necessarily benefit from it in the home where it's needed. And a public concern if it's handed to the one earning a 6 figure salary!

We've just been told everyone is getting free school meals in DS school now.

That's interesting! I wonder if that will extend to holiday vouchers as well. I'm concerned for single parents with abusive exes who may not receive the benefit if there's no clarity. I doubt very much either schools or parents will want to engage in direct discussions around this, although surely schools have a responsibility to ensure disadvantaged children are benefitting from public funds in the way they should be.

Where I live every child in primary school gets free school meals regardless of household income! Should be the same everywhere imo!