Free School Meals – Mulberry Academy Woodside

Children are entitled to receive free school meals if they or their parents or guardians receive any of the following:

Universal Credit providing you have net earnings of less than £7,400 a year (£616.67 a month)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Guarantee Credit element of State Pension Credit
Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Child Tax Credit (providing you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 as assessed by HMRC)

All you have to do is complete the form below and return it to us with proof of your benefit.

Changes to the rules and protected free school meals entitlement

From 1 April 2018 free school meals regulations include a net earnings threshold of £7,400.00 for UC claimants
Any student eligible for free schools meals up to and including the 31 March 2018 will keep their free school meal eligibility until 31 March 2022 even if their financial circumstances change
Any student who becomes eligible from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2022 will keep their eligibility until 31 March 2022 (this is known as the UC rollout period)
Once the rollout of Universal Credit is completed any student losing free school meal entitlement is protected until the end of their current phase of primary or secondary education
Pupils keep their eligibility between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2022 even if the applicant’s financial circumstances change
Protection applies to the child getting free school meals – not the family. If a sibling is not entitled to free school meals based on the eligibility criteria, protection does not apply (this is also the case where a child moves to live with another parent or family member)

Clothing grant

If you are eligible for free school meals and your child is transferring to secondary school in September 2019, you can also apply for a one-off clothing grant of £60.

The grant must only be used to buy school clothes or shoes for your child (we may ask to see receipts as proof of purchase). The closing date for applications for children entering year 7 in September 2019 is 31 March 2020.

To qualify for a grant you must live in Haringey and your child’s date of birth must be between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008.

You will need to provide proof of your relationship to the child and the child’s date of birth. Please also read these important notes before applying.

How to apply

If you are not sure on how to apply, our students have created videos which will guide you through the process.

English – https://youtu.be/wnpM9fK8y3c

Turkish – https://youtu.be/MBgOHUVfrd0

Bulgarian – https://youtu.be/5ZH4XTLG0-g

Apply online via My Account

If you cannot apply online you will need to download, print and complete the Free School Meals and Clothing Grant application form (PDF, 102KB).

If this is your first application you will need to provide proof of your relationship to the child and the child’s date of birth. Please also read these important notes before applying.

Returning your form

For all other schools return your completed form to your nearest Customer Service Centre who will process your application while you wait or you can post it to:

Shared Service Centre | Benefits
PO Box 10505
Wood Green
N22 7WJ

Proof

Haringey Council need you to provide proof of your relationship to the child and the child’s date of birth, for example:

a Child Benefit letter showing your name, the child’s name and the child’s date of birth
a long birth certificate showing your name, the child’s name and the child’s date of birth

If you do not have suitable proof you need to contact Haringey to explain your circumstances and let us know what proof you have. Please also read these important notes before applying.

Important notes

You must normally reapply for free school meals every year but will not need to do so until the protection period ends on 31 March 2022. We will write to you and ask you to reapply before the protection period ends.
If your child moves to another school you must tell us immediately.
If you receive free school meals based on the protection rules a new school may ask you to provide evidence of your entitlement to free school meals from the previous school for free school meals to continue.
Children who receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance in their own right can apply for free school meals.
If you are a foster carer or kinship carer money for school meals has been included in your allowance.

Further information

Further information about free school meals is available on GOV.UK (external link).

Please return the completed form to Student Reception or alternatively email to: freeschoolmeals@woodsidehighschool.co.uk

Additional help

There are some fantastic organisations who can help families who are struggling

White Hart Lane,
Wood Green
London, N22 5QJ

020 8889 6761
020 8365 8164
mail@mulberrywoodside.org

Part of the

Mulberry Academy Woodside is part of the Mulberry Schools Trust which is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company No. 10035860).

Company’s registered office: Mulberry Schools Trust, Richard Street, Commercial Road, London E1 2JP.