Claiming free school meals

These are available to children attending schools within Tower Hamlets whose parents are either:

• receiving income support, or
• receiving income-based jobseeker’s allowance, or
• have an income, as assessed by the Inland Revenue, of less than £13,230 a year and who do not get working tax credit but do get child tax credit.

Please note you do not have to be liable for rent or liable for council tax in order to claim free school meals for your children.

• How to claim free school meals
• Where to get a claim form
• What information and evidence is needed?
• Notifications
• Changes in circumstances affecting entitlement to free school meals
• Children excluded from getting free school meals
• Children who attend schools in Tower Hamlets but whose parents live outside the borough
• Children whose parents live in the borough but who attend schools outside the borough
• Appeals

How to claim free school meals

The child's parent (or guardian) must make a claim:

• this can be as part of a housing benefit or council tax benefit claim - you do not need to complete a separate claim form, or
• by completing a Tower Hamlets Free School Meals form - you must do this if you are not also claiming or entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit.

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Where to get a claim form

• Contact your area benefits office for a claim form
• Contact your child's school for a claim form
• Download a claim form
  (if you download a claim form you must then print it, fill it in ink, sign and date it then return to your area benefits office).

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What information and evidence is needed?

We will need details of your child's age and the school they attend, and evidence of your income. If you are also claiming housing benefit or council tax benefit you will normally already have provided evidence for that claim, and will not have to provide it again.

Evidence of your income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance would include a copy of the first three pages of your benefit order book, or a copy of your most recent benefit award letter (in full) or your child tax credit award notice (in full).

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Notifications

Separate notification letters will be sent to both you and your child's school will be notified if you are awarded free school meals and again if your entitlement stops.

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Telling us about changes in circumstances affecting entitlement to free school meals

If you stop getting income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance or your annual income increases above £13,230 or if you start to get working tax credit your child's entitlement to free school meals will end. Remember you must tell the benefits service about any changes to your income or circumstances.

You must tell the us if you child changes school and if you change address.

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Are there any children who are excluded from getting free school meals?

Children whose parent(s) have not made a claim for either housing benefit, or council tax benefit or free school meals will not get them.

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What about children who attend schools in Tower Hamlets but whose parents live outside the borough?

Some local authorities have reciprocal arrangements with Tower Hamlets. You would need to contact Tower Hamlets education department for advice.

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What about children whose parents live in the borough but who attend schools outside the borough?

Parents should apply to the authority where the school is located – the school secretary should be able to give you more information about this.

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Appeals

If your child or children are not entitled to free school meals you can appeal. However, the decision not to grant free school meals does not come under the normal benefit appeals process and cannot be changed unless you can show that the information used in making the decision was incorrect. If you wish to discuss making an appeal, please call on 020 7364 5006.

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