Eligibility for Free School Meals

You can claim free school meals for your children if you receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• Income based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income Related Only Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit with an annual income of less than £16,190
• The ‘Guarantee’ element of State Pension Credit Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. (In this case, you will need to call one of the numbers below, where you will be asked for more information).

Please note, however, that your children will not qualify if you are receiving Working Tax Credit, regardless of your income.

Applying for Free School Meals

To apply for Free School Meals, please click the Staffordshire Council Application Form link below. You need only fill in one form even if your children attend different schools. It may not be necessary to provide proof of the benefit which you receive, as your entitlement can be checked by the local authority using the National Free School Meals Eligibility Checking Service. In order that these checks can be made and your claim can be processed as quickly as possible, please make sure that you include your national insurance number and date of birth on the form. You should also note that by signing the form you are giving permission for the service to be used.

If the checking service indicates that you are not entitled to Free School Meals, the local authority will contact you to provide recent written proof of benefit.

Help with your application

The Free School Meals service is administered by the local authority. If you would like further information, please contact us using the following information:

Email: freeschoolmeals@staffordshire.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 111 8007 

Website: www.staffordshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

The team are open Monday to Friday normal office hours and don't close during the school holidays.

If you have any queries, ask at the school office and we’ll do what we can to assist. Alternatively, you can email your queries to enquiries@thekingscofeacademy.org

Holiday Activity and Food Programme

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF)

The HAF programme provides healthy food and enriching activities to children and young people, with free places available for those on free school meals during some of the school holidays. The programme will kick off this year over the Easter holidays

If you have any questions about the HAF programme, please email: 

holidayactivitiesandfoodprogramme@staffordshire.gov.uk