Benefits and support Free School Meals

If your child qualifies and attends a Trafford school but you do not live in Trafford you will be a sent a supermarket voucher automatically through your school.

Who is eligible?

Your child may qualify for free school meals if you get any of the following:

  •  Income Support
  •  income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  •  income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  •  the guaranteed part of Pension Credit
  •  Child Tax Credit (as long as your annual gross income is £16,190 or less and you don’t get Working Tax Credit)
  •  Working Tax Credit run-off after you come off Working Tax Credit
  •  Universal Credit that you applied for on, or after, 1 April 2018. As long as your household income is less than £7,400 a year after tax, not including any benefits

Please note: If your school doesn't appear on the list provided in the form or you have a specific query, you'll need to contact the school directly.

 

Additional information

We can only provide free school meals if your child's school is in Manchester.

If your child's school isn't in Manchester, you'll need to find out which authority is responsible for them and contact them for advice.

Children who are eligible for free school meals can get them:

  • until they finish school; or
  • if they are in school on 31 March 2023, until they finish primary or secondary school – whichever is sooner.

This is because there is currently a transition period in place until March 2023 to protect pupils eligible for free school meals to allow them to retain their eligibility until the end of their current phase of either primary or secondary education, regardless of whether their parent's circumstances change. Pupils starting school after 31 March 2023, when the transition period ends, will not receive this protection.

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can get free school meals whatever your income. But if you have one of the qualifying incomes it will help the school if you tell them this, so they can get extra funding.

Children who are younger than the compulsory age for starting school but in full-time education, can also get free school meals.

They may also qualify if you are an asylum seeker, or if they receive any of these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian.

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