Applying for Free School Meals

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Your children could be entitled to Free School Meals if your household is in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Guarantee Credit Element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided that you are not entitled to any Working Tax Credit, and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,040.  
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

It’s important to note that if you currently receive any Working Tax Credit, you are not eligible for free school meals and should not apply.

Unfortunately, we are unable to backdate any claim for Free School Meals

It is now possible to apply online for Free School Meals by using the Free School Meal Application Form.

Once this online application is submitted, it generates an email to one of the team responsible for processing Free School Meal applications, so that they are able to process your application.  However, please note that in a very small number of cases, we may need to contact you for further information in order to assess your application.

If you would prefer to complete a paper application, you can either complete one at your child’s school, or you can come in to see us:
The Information and Advice Centre
Ground Floor
Guildhall 2
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1EU

Once we receive your Free School Meal application, either via an online or paper application, the details you have provided on your form will be checked against the Department for Children, Schools and Families database.

If this database confirms your benefit, our team will make email contact with the school your child attends to let them know that your child is entitled to receive Free School Meals.  

If the database cannot confirm your benefit, you will be contacted and asked to bring up to date documents into The Information and Advice Centre, on the ground floor of Guildhall 2.  The documents you bring must be dated within 6 weeks of your application.

If your child is entitled to Free School Meals, we will contact you (either by email or letter) to let you know about their entitlement, and your child’s Free School Meals entitlement will be for 1 year from the date of eligibility.

If details of your benefit are found on the Department for Children, Schools and Families database, your child’s Free School Meals will normally begin within 3 working days.  Once we have made contact with you to confirm your child’s eligibility to Free School Meals, we advise you to contact your child’s school to ask when they can start providing your child with a Free School Meal.  Some school operate on a weekly rota for pre-ordering school meals, so there may be a small delay to starting up these meals in these cases.

If details of your benefit cannot be confirmed on the Department for Children, Schools and Families database, the application process may take slightly longer, as you will be required to bring in extra supporting documentation.  

If you have any questions regarding Free School Meals, please contact us:

Terri Eastop
Learning and Children's Services
1st Floor, Guildhall 2
Kingston
KT1 1EU

Telephone: 020
Email freeschoolmeals@rbk.kingston.gov.uk