Receiving free school meals though were not entitiled

[Clover92]

My daughter keeps getting fsm even though she's not entitled. (she use to be as I was on income support for a while due to me and my husband temporarily seperating, but we got back together last October so she's not been entitled since then) I've told the receptionist at the school a hundred times that they're not charging her but she just says she will deal with it then I never hear from her again! The problem is I use to top up her dinner account a few weeks worth in one go, as she only has dinners once or twice a week (unless it's really cold then she likes it more often) then when we got the text to say the account was getting low we would top it up again. By the time I realised we hadn't got a text to re top and checked the account and discovered what was going on it must have been a few months worth of free dinners she had gotten. (didn't check sooner as it honestly doesn't enter my head until we get the text due to the fact she prefers pack ups mostly so sometimes the money lasts a week sometimes it can last months). So I know I already owe some sort of lump sum, but it's just frustrating me it's gone on for so long. Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? And if there's a way I can fix it myself?

I think you are entitled to free school meals within 6 years of being on certain benefits, so it's probably not a mistake. It also gives the school extra funding as well as FSM for you, so a good thing really!

I think if you are eligible for FSM at any point during YrR- Yr2 then the eligibility continues automatically until Yr6.

If you were entitled to FSM on 18 April 2018, then you will be entitled until 31 March 2023, even if you are not be eligible to claim now.

Before then, if you were no longer eligible to claim, then the school should have changed their system and charged you, unless your child is in YR-Y2 and entitled to a free school lunch anyway.

The 6 year entitlement relates to Pupil Premium, a payment of £1320 that the government pay to schools in respect of pupils who have been entitled to claim for FSM now or in the past. The school need to use that funding to enhance the education for children entitled to the payment. It doesnt necessarily mean they will pay for lunch with it, but in some cases of hardship they may well do.

It sounds like the school may not be keeping accurate records, I would go in again and query it as you should not have to deal with a large dinner debt because they aren't dealing with it properly!

Pupil premium (Ever6) doesn't mean the child is entitled to free school meals.

Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for free school meals. Your child is eligible for free school meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:
• Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400.
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190