Do i need to reapply for free school meals?

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

About a year ago I applied for FSM as I am currently a single parent and a FT student.

Do my children stay on FSM until I say otherwise/tax credits tell Lea etc. Or do I need to do something to renew annually/whatever?

I am particularly asking as DDs go to secondary school in Sept. How does this work. Will my letter from a year ago be good enough. Do I need to tell FSM hotline they have new school? Will ask at their induction evening but font want to get caught out if I should have renewed by now but haven't as that will be embaressing

Tia

In our area you have to renew annually. All dealt with by local authority, not the individual school. Suggest contacting town hall or family liaison worker at school, if there is one - they may have a supply of forms.

in my area as well you have to apply annually, and I have spent the last few weeks putting this information onthe newsletter to remind parents to do so. But i know they wont and it will be caos at the begining of the school year as it is every year. If your council run one stop shop type places you can do it there very simply and quickly.

We get a letter from the school reminding us that we need to prove that I still qualify for free school meals.

Tbh I am a bit lax on this and tend to just think all is ok until there is either something in the newsletter about it or I get a letter home.

When I first did it the lea (or whoever was responsible) checked eligibility via direct access to the ctc database. I haven't 'renewed since and its been over a year.

Having said that the secondary school have said that they haven't been told they are FSM by their primary so maybe it has lapsed. They have been having their free meals all year tho so I have no idea what's going on. Will ring them tomorrow.

Depends on your LEA. In mine, we have to apply in the September and April each academic year, but it used to be once a term.

Each time we reapply, we have to provide an up-to-date letter from the department that is paying the relevant 'qualifying' benefit. Their definition of up-to-date letter is one sent and DATED within 6weeks of the date you have signed the FSM's form.

I'm in the throws of chasing up evidence for the children at our school on FSM at the moment so we have everything in place for them in September. Our LEA just requires that the letter/bank statement/CTC form is 'current' i.e. dated after April this year.

I also fax copies to the Secondary Schools for our Year 6's heading there in September.

At the moment a lot of parents still seem to be waiting for their Tax Credits awards notice to arrive.

Confused. I didn't fill in any forms. I didn't provide any evidence in the first place. They checked the tax credits database electronically (and declined me , so they.rang them and found that there was an error they hadn't updated).

I will ring later today and also renew tax credits.

Good luck on getting through - on Tuesday they were advising everyone did the paper copy as they were so busy! Took me 17 mins to get through.

All sorted. My lea automatically check eligibility via the relevant electronic databases once every 4 weeks. I never need to do anything about it as it rolls on automatically, although obviously advised to tell them if circs change.

Our LEA charge us (the school) to electronically check - I think it's about £15 per child so we try to avoid that if we can.

All I can say is that I have dealt direct with county hall. They say all of the above on their website. I have been told all of the above today. Both clearly state that once applied for I never have to do.it again as they monitor my eligibility themselves.

County hall send the schools a daily email telling them whose eligible (cos.she checked why they might not have been given FSM on induction days), so schools dont appear to do any chasing here.

It looks like all counties operate differently. Looks like we have a very good system.