Is your Child entitled to Free Schools Meals?

Children whose parents receive the following support payments are entitled to receive Free School Meals in maintained schools in Wales:

• Income Support (IS)*
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)*
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Income-related Employment Support Allowance (IR)
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit with an annual total income below the HMRC set limit
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit.

*Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also eligible to receive free school lunches.

Alternatively, if you are already in receipt of Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit from WCBC please call the Support Services section on 01978 297413 to discuss your eligibility for free school meals.

The Authority may check with your Benefits Agency, on-line, to confirm the benefits you receive.

Click here to access the Free School Meals online application form

Welsh Government Universal Free Meal Offer Roll out

From September 1st 2022, all children in Reception class are eligible to receive a free school meal as part of the free school meal roll out over the next three years for all Primary age pupils in Wales.

Schools in Wrexham County Borough Council use the Parent Pay system, which allows parents to pre-order lunches for their child(ren).  Whilst all children in Reception will be entitled to a free school meal, the meal will need to be pre-ordered via this system.  

We would like to remind you that Welsh Government allocate the Pupil Development Grant funding to schools to based on income-based eligibility to free school meals.  Whilst the intention is to have a universal offer of free school meals to all primary aged pupils within the next three years, it is very important that parents who are in receipt of eligible benefits and support payments make an application to the Local Authority if they have not previously done so.

Making this application will allow eligible parents to access the monies to help towards the costs of your child’s school uniform and equipment, and will also ensure that our school receives the correct amount of funding from Welsh Government.  Only families who receive the applicable benefits and support payments will be able to access this funding, and you will need to have made an application for free school meals first.

Please rest assured that if your child is currently in receipt of free school meals and/or any other associated benefits, in all primary school years, these will not be affected.  You only need to make a new application for free school meals if you receive one of the eligible benefits and support payments, and have not made an application for your child previously.  In most cases, this will be the parents of children who are about to move into Reception.

The criteria and application form for free school meals outside of the ‘universal offer’ can be found online at https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/service/school-meals/free-school-meals.  Remember, you only need to make a new application for your child if you receive one of the listed benefits or support payments, and have not made an application previously.

The application form for the Pupil Development Grant, which helps eligible parents with the costs of a child’s school uniform and equipment, can be found here https://www.wrexham.gov.uk/service/pupil-development-grant-pdg