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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

free school dinners

13 replies

tastetherainbow · 07/01/2011 13:14

hope someone can help me, we are a working family and not in receipt of income related benefits aprt from tax credits. the money my partner earns goes straight out to pay for the relevant bills however the weekly tax credit money has now been reduced by 50% as they claim my partenr is not entitloed to the disability element of this (even though he is disabled) and because of this they have took this element off us plus money to pay back arrers we have sent an appeal letter off and awaiting reply however we have 2 children in primary school and already owe the school money for hot school dinners, i dont mind giving the kids packed lunch but with the weather the way it is i cant refuse the kids a hot meal at dinner time. £20 week is an awful lot of money when you consider we do our shopping put money in for gas and electric and petrol as my partenrs job requires travelling, we cannot afford to pay this £20 out every week. because we are not on benefits i presume we are not entitled to free school meals and i was wondering if anyone is in the same situation or can give any advice. thanks

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lovecheese · 07/01/2011 13:22

Is your income relevant? I may be wrong, but aren't you entitled if you earn less than £14k p.a?

Original poster

tastetherainbow · 07/01/2011 13:30

im not sure on how it actually works.... but my partenr earns under that but i have other income e:g csa, child benefit...etc but all the money i get and he earns goea out to pay bills and we have nothing of a luxury we are behind in rent as he lost his job for 2 months which set us back, we have bailiffs that we pay council tax to because of the income situation, various things.... the school have told me to phone them up and my partner said not to declare the money i get but i dont like lieing so it wouldnt feel right

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sb6699 · 07/01/2011 13:58

We dont get it because we receive working tax credit. Sorry, I think you may be the same.

crazygracieuk · 07/01/2011 14:06

Packed lunches are much cheaper than school dinners so I would swap over.
Personally I don't think that a hot lunch is a must- schools tend to be very warm and you could offer a hot breakfast or snack after school to compensate.

Can't help with the tax credits but £20pw is very pricey, I bet that's a huge % of your food budget.

FeelingOld · 07/01/2011 14:08

I am a lone parent, I work but am on a low income and I get working tax credit, child tax credit and some housing and council tax benefit and my kids get free transport to school but they are not entitled to free school dinners.

crazygracieuk · 07/01/2011 14:12

Can't help with the tax credits but £20pw is very pricey, I bet that's a huge % of your food budget.

Original poster

tastetherainbow · 07/01/2011 15:41

wow thanks for responses, yeah packed lunches is cheaper, i guess i just feel guilty when there friends have hot dinners and i feel i cant provide for them, they always have hot meal at tea and supper before bed think its just me over analysing it..... annoys me, i know someone who gets just under £2,000 per month in benefits and some dont even justify there problems they have and they get free everything..... makes me so angry.

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lovecheese · 07/01/2011 16:15

Could you go half-way and provide them with a flask of soup to eat with their sandwiches? My DD loves having soup in the winter.

Original poster

tastetherainbow · 07/01/2011 16:26

@lovecheese i never even thought of that my 7yr old would probably like that as well, but its me again i would panic it would get to cold or stay to hot and burn herself ahahah..... i know its me being a silly parent i just worry so much about money and we do everything to make sure our kids have everything aand that nooone sees how much our financial situation effects us, we are very proud people we have an awful lot to deal with at the moment not just with money but other situations and its so hard, think its just me being silly. Thank you for response

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mrz · 07/01/2011 18:46

Current free school meals eligibility criteria

From 6 April 2010, children whose parents are in receipt of one of the following:

*
  Income Support
*
  income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
*
  an income-related employment and support allowance
*
  support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
*
  Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income that does not exceed £16,190 as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs* 
*
  the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

will be entitled to receive free school meals.

Original poster

tastetherainbow · 08/01/2011 21:58

see, we have working tax credit so they say we are not entitled even though working tax is a mere £6.....

OP posts:

Runoutofideas · 09/01/2011 08:18

Could you not claim the working tax credit and get free school meals instead - sorry I don't know how it works and this probably isn't possible...

CardyMow · 09/01/2011 10:17

Nope, we get WTC as well as CTC, DP is on a low income, I don't qualify for a bus pass as I live 2.9 miles away from the school, so have to fork out £42 a week bus fare to get the dc to school (youngest has muscle probs too severe to walk 2.9 miles, but not severe enough for DLA)...AND we don't qualify for free school meals. Which for 3 dc come to a total of £27 a week. And at their school - there is no option of packed lunches, they all either have to have hot dinners or be taken home for lunch! (Hall space apparently). Tis crap, but thems the rules.

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