Free School Meals
Your child may be eligible for Free School Meals through a variety of different eligibility criteria.
Newcastle City Council operates an Apply Once process for Free School Meals. During your child's academic life you will only ever have to apply once for Free School Meals while they attend a Newcastle school.
We encourage all parents to apply for Free School Meals during their Reception Year, so Newcastle City Council can assess whether your child and their school can receive this extra help. Even if your child does not want to take up a cooked meal during the school day, your school can still receive this additional help.
To be eligible for Free School Meals your child must be:
- in government-funded education full time up to the age of 19,
- or in a nursery class or nursery school and attending for full days.
You will need to get one 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 (provided 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 - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - if you apply after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)