Tirlebrook Primary School
Free School Meals (FSM)
Children qualify for Free School Meals (FSM) – and accordingly Pupil Premium – if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less)
- Income support
- Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of state pension credit
- Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less
These benefits have now been rolled into a single benefit, called Universal Credit. Universal Credit is being rolled out, with an expected completion date of March 2022. All pupils who were eligible for Free School Meals up to April 2018 will continue to receive Free School Meals during this period. Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, any existing claimants who no longer meet the eligibility criteria will still qualify for Free School Meals until the end of their current stage of education (i.e. primary or secondary).
If you think that you may be eligible for Free School Meals, visit the Free School Meals Eligibility Checker and enter the required details (Parent/Carer's full legal name, date of birth and National Insurance Number or National Asylum Support Service Number). This quick one-off check will tell you whether your child is eligible. Click on the 'Create a New Account' tab and 'Proceed' and you will be able to complete the check without the need to actually set up an account.
If your child qualifies for Free School Meals, it’s important that you let us know – even if they're in Reception or KS1 and receive Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM), or are in KS2 and take a packed lunch, or you do not wish for your child to take up a free school meal at school – as this enables us to claim their Pupil Premium entitlement. You can apply via Gloucestershire County Council to enable the school to receive this extra funding to enhance provision for children and improve academic and future socio-economic outcomes.
