Free school meals
Access to free school meals is an important part of the school meals service in Scotland. It is important that pupils entitled to free school meals get them without fear of stigmatisation. They should not be made to feel different from those who pay nor be readily identified by others.
Who is eligible for free school meals?
You can claim free school meals for your children if you are receiving:
- Income Support (IS)
- Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Child Tax Credit (CTC), but not Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £15,575 (in 08/09 as assessed by the Inland Revenue)
If you are between 16 and 18 years old and receive any of these benefits in your own right, you can claim free school meals for yourself.
You may also be eligible if you are an asylum seeker receiving support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
For more information on Child Tax Credit and Working Tax credit visit the Inland Revenue website.
Registration for free school meals
A report on Local Authority procedures for identifying and registering children eligible for free school meals highlights some of the potential barriers to registering for free school meals. A short life working group is being set in 2007 to consider the recommendations of the report and what needs to be done to tackle the issues identified.
Free school meals pilot
The Scottish Government is conducting a free school lunch trial for primary 1 to primary 3 (P1-P3) pupils. The trial is part of the Government's drive to improve the nation's health and encourage good eating habits from a young age.