School lunches for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 they will be eligible to receive Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) which all children within these year groups across the country are entitled . 

During COVID lockdowns only the children entitled to Free School Meals will receive supermarket vouchers so please check the information below to see if you may be eligible to apply.

Free School Meals

Some families are entitled to receive Free School Meals due to their financial situation regardless of which year group their child is in. This is a statutory benefit but entitles the school to additional funding of £1,320 per annum which is used to aid with your child’s teaching and learning. You can still provide a packed lunch if you do not wish to receive the meals but the additional funding is very important for schools so please do check the benefits below to see if you could apply.

The Government does not allow Councils to recognise any other benefit other than those mentioned below. If you are not sure, please contact Coventry City Council’s Free School Meals team by phone on 024 7683 3773 Monday to Friday from 11:00am until 2:00pm or email freeschoolmeals@coventry.gov.uk

Free school meals are available to children of families who are in receipt of:

• Income Support
• Jobseekers Allowance (income based)
• Employment and Support Allowance (income based)
• Guarantee Credit (the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit) 
• Universal Credit (UC)
• Until 1 April 2018, all UC claims were eligible for free school meals, however, 
• From 1 April 2018, UC claims will only be eligible for free school meals if the total net earned income is under £7,400 per year OR if the child was eligible for a free school meal on 01/04/18 
• Where the child was eligible for a free school meal on 01 April 2018, they will remain entitled to a free school meal  regardless of any change in parental income until they finish the phase of education they are in (primary or secondary) as at 31 March 2022
• Any child who becomes eligible for a free school meal between 01 April 2018 and 31 March 2022 will remain entitled to a free school meal  regardless of any change in parental income until they finish the phase of education they are in (primary or secondary) as at 31 March 2022
• Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have a total annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• Coventry City Council have temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF).These groups are subject to a maximum household earnings threshold of £7,400 per annum. These groups are:
• Children of Zambrano carers;
• Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights;
• Children of families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction.
• We are also temporarily extending eligibility to children of a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This group is not subject to a maximum household earnings threshold

Parents receiving Working Tax Credit for four weeks after their employment finishes are entitled to free school meals during that period. This also applies to parents who start working less than 16 hours per week (please seek advice about this from the Benefits Agency)

Children who receive Income Support or Income Based Job Seekers Allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive Free School Meals.

In cases where children receive education who have not attained compulsory school age (nursery age children) they will only be eligible to receive a Free School Meal if they receive education both before and after the lunch period.

Coventry City Council have temporarily extended free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF).

These groups are:

• Children of Zambrano carers
• Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
• Children of families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction

These groups are subject to a maximum household income threshold of £31,500 per year for London, and £28,200 for areas outside of London. See the London or outside London section if you are unsure as to which threshold applies for your circumstances.

The council are also temporarily extending eligibility to children of a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. This group is not subject to a maximum household income threshold as these families are not able to work.

This extension covers both children who are attending school and children who are self-isolating at home because they or a member of their household have tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).

Please note:

If you receive Working Tax Credit only, your child is not eligible.

If you think you may be entitled please click on the link and fill out the application online. https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/en/service/Free_school_meals_and_extra_pupil_premium_funds_for_schools