Campaign for Free School Meals

Who is eligible for free school lunches in Scotland?

Qualifying benefits/tax credits
How can I tell what sort of tax credits award I have?
How do I apply for free school lunches?
Free school lunches for all Primary 1-3 pupils from August 2010
Kinship carers
School Clothing Grant

Qualifying benefits/tax credits

From 6 April 2010, you are entitled to free school lunches for your child if you are receiving:

• income support
• income-based jobseeker's allowance
• child tax credit, but not working tax credit, based on annual income as assessed for tax credits purposes of less than £16,190. If you are getting working tax credit during the four-week run-on after stopping work, you can still qualify for free school lunches.
• child tax credit and working tax credit, based on annual income as assessed for tax credits purposes of less than £6,420

A school pupil who receives any of these benefits in their own right is also entitled to free school lunches.

You are also eligible if you are an asylum seeker receiving asylum support from the Home Office.

If you live in West Dunbartonshire, all Primary 1-3 pupils are entitled to free school lunches.

How can I tell what sort of tax credits award I have?

Another way of describing the criteria is ‘maximum tax credits’ but the amount you get will depend on your family circumstances such as how many children you have.

• Find your most recent tax credits award notice (TC602) for the current tax year. An award notice is usually sent out between April and August each year and also following a change of circumstances. If you cannot find it, ring the Tax Credits Helpline on 0845 300 3900.
• Check under the heading ‘Part 2 How we work out your tax credits.’
  If it shows ‘Reduction due to your income = £0.00’ this means that you are receiving the maximum tax credit because your income is less than the threshold.
• Remember if you are eligible for working tax credit you must be getting maximum working tax credit to qualify for free school lunches. If you receive maximum child tax credit but your working tax credit has been reduced due to your income, you are not eligible (unless you are in the four-week run-on after stopping work).

For more information on child tax credit and working tax credit, see our Tax Credits Project pages

How do I apply for free school lunches?

Contact your local education authority. Find your local council

Free school lunches for all Primary 1-3 pupils from August 2010

The Scottish Government has agreed with local government to extend entitlement to free school lunches to all Primary 1-3 pupils from August 2010. However, at the time of writing, councils have been given flexibility as to how, and when, they implement this policy. Contact your local authority to find out in which schools and year groups pupils will be provided with free school lunches from August 2010 and from which date all P1 to P3 pupils in your local authority area will be provided with a free school lunch.

Kinship carers

• If you receive a kinship care payment from the local authority for the child’s maintenance which means you do not get child tax credit, you may not qualify for free school lunches.
• If you are under 60, you can qualify for free school lunches if you receive income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance.
• If you are over 60, you cannot qualify for free school lunches, even if you receive pension credit guarantee. If this applies to you, you should tell the local authority and ask that the kinship care payment includes a specific amount for school lunches.

School Clothing Grant

A school clothing grant is also available under similar criteria to free school lunches, although this can vary between local authorities. Contact your local education authority to apply. Find your local council here.

© Child Poverty Action Group, May 2010
CPAG in Scotland’s Tax Credit Project is funded by the Scottish Government.

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