Under normal circumstances, schools are not expected to provide free school meals to eligible children who are not attending school due to illness or if the school is closed. However, during the COVID-19 outbreak schools are continuing to provide support to these children, details below.
Find out if you’re eligible for meal support while your child isn’t attending school, and how to apply.
Who is eligible?
Our school is providing meal support for pupils who would usually receive benefits-related free school meals in school.
You’re eligible for meal support if your child is between 5 and 16 years old and if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of pension credit
- Child tax credit (if you’re not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working tax credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
- Universal credit – if you applied for it on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If you’ve started receiving any of these benefits since the coronavirus outbreak, you’re eligible for meal support.
Please note: we only receive funding for pupils who get food support because their parents receive any of the benefits listed above. If your child usually receives universal infant free school meals you will not be eligible as these are suspended during the temporary lockdown period.
How to apply
- Please complete and return the Free School Meal application form available from our website, see link: https://hillsideprimary.org.uk/school-meals/ and scroll to the bottom of the page for the form. To ensure a speedy response please email to office@hillsideprimary.org.uk .
How will I receive the meals?
The government have developed a National Voucher Scheme to provide supermarket vouchers via an online portal. Those eligible will initially receive an email to sign up to this new service and receive an eCode that enables you to select a convenient supermarket for your family to access from the following participating supermarkets.
Morrison’s
Tesco
Sainsbury’s
Asda
Waitrose
M & S
- You will receive a weekly £15 rolling voucher per eligible child (or if more than one eligible child in school you will receive a voucher combining all children on the same voucher with the totals merged together).
- You can spend this voucher in your selected supermarket on appropriate food and drink for your child/ren.
- You must not spend the voucher on any age-restricted items, such as alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets.