Free School Meals payments for Years 11 to 13

Welsh Government (WG) have provided us with funding to pay parents of all students in years 11 to 13, between when they finish exams (23/06/22) and when the official school term ends (20/07/22).  This is a period of 20 school days and we will pay parents £3.90 per day per eligible child(£78.00 total) in lieu of Free School Meals (FSM).  Payment of £78.00 will be made on 20/06/22 and should reach bank accounts by 24/06/22.  We would kindly ask that parents refrain from contacting us until after 24/06/22 if payment has not been received by then.

Free School Meals payments for summer holidays

WG have committed to paying parents in lieu of FSM for the entire summer holiday period.  This will also include students in years 11 to 13.  Payments will commence in line with term time ending on 20/07/22 and will thereafter be paid weekly at the rate of £19.50 per eligible child until the end of the holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my child has to be absent due to COVID?  Do I get a payment like when schools are closed?

Yes – Every school lets us know which children/classes have to be absent for COVID reasons.  If this happens, we get a spreadsheet from your child’s school to let us know.  We will then pay you whilst your child is absent.

I have a child or another child starting school in September.  Will they automatically get free school meals?

No – You have to apply for FSM for every child.  Once they are in receipt of FSM, you don’t need to re-apply.

I think I’m missing payment/s or I haven’t had a payment/s.  Why is this?

You have to have live claim for FSM to allow us to make payments.  If you haven’t received a payment, it is likely because we do not hold your bank details.  In 2020, we carried out a large exercise with the help of schools to get parents to give us their bank details so that we could pay them, but not everybody replied.  If you think you have missed out on payments, please contact us via email at: FreeSchoolMeals@flintshire.gov.uk

What is free school meals policy?
Free school meals will be provided for pupils whose parents receive:

• Income Support,
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance,
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999,
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income does not exceed £16,190,
• 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 or Universal Credit.
• Universal credit(If earned income is included in the assessment of UC it must be less than £616.66)

Why is it important to apply?
If you are eligible to receive free school meals it is very important to your child’s school that you apply. The school can access funding for children who qualify for free school meals that will allow them to provide targeted support programs, buy equipment and resources etc.

If your child prefers to take a packed lunch or make other arrangements it is still important to register for free school meals so the school can access funding. 

How do I apply?
You must complete an online form to apply for free school meals.

For Enquires
Email: FreeSchoolMeals@flintshire.gov.uk

Uniform Grant funding for the 2022/23 academic year is open to applications. 

As at June 2022, we have opened up our application form but please be advised that we do not receive our Government funding to allow us to make payments until at least July 2022.  Any applications made before our funding is available will be held until our funding becomes available.  We will then be in touch with you once we have assessed your application.  With this in mind, parents applying now should not expect to have their application assessed immediately.

We have put together some frequently asked questions (FQA’s below).

Please read these carefully before applying.

You can apply for a Uniform Grants for children starting the following years in September 2022:

Reception, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11

Looked after (foster care) children can qualify in any academic year.

In order to be eligible to apply, parents must already be in receipt of, or applying for Free School Meals based on the following income;

• Income Support,

 • Income Based Jobseekers Allowance,

 • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999,

 • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, 

• Child Tax Credit,

 • provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income does not exceed £16,190, 

• 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 or Universal Credit. 

• Universal credit(If earned income is included in the assessment of UC it must be less than £616.66)

The Funding is also available to all looked after children (Foster Care) of compulsory school age and pupils with no recourse to public funds.You must complete an online form to apply for uniform grants.  Please do not apply if you have already received a uniform grant for your child for the 2020/21 academic year.  You cannot claim twice.

For Enquires Email: FreeSchoolMeals@flintshire.gov.uk

You must complete an online form to apply for uniform grants.

FAQ

Why do I have to apply? Can you not just pay me for my children that are eligible?

No – The grants we administer are funded by WG and our grant conditions confirm we have to receive an application from the parent. We also have to retain these for audit purposes and to prove we are paying only for children whose parents meet the eligibility criteria.  We also need to be able to obtain parents bank account details, to enable us to pay the grant money to them.  We cannot do this without an application form.

I need more information or I need to check if I’ve claimed before.

We would kindly ask parents to email us at FreeSchoolMeals@flintshire.gov.uk to find out. We aim to respond to emails within 48 hours.