School Meals
Details
Do all schools in Aberdeen City offer school meals?
Yes.
How much do meals cost?
At present a meal costs £1.70 in primary schools and £1.95 in secondary schools. However, these prices may increase during the school year.
Secondary schools offer cafeteria services, where a wide range of meals and snacks are provided at varying prices. In such cases, a traditional school meal is always available at the above price.
Who is entitled to free school meals?
You can claim free school meals for your children if you are receiving:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Child Tax Credit where no award of Working Tax Credit has been made and your annual income is less than £15,575
- If you are aged between 16 and 18, at school and receive these benefits in your own right, you can claim free school meals for yourself
- You may also be eligible if you are an asylum seeker and receive support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Application forms for free school meals are available from each school.
Please note that changes to the Benefits System is likely to affect the criteria set out above.
What evidence will I have to provide?
When applying for free school meals you will be asked to provide evidence that you are in receipt of one of the stated benefits.
Income Support: Income Support Order Book or a date stamped letter of entitlement from DSS or take the revalidation letter sent to you from the school to the DSS Office and have the bottom section completed and the form taken/sent to the school as soon as possible.
Jobseekers Allowance: A date stamped letter of entitlement from DSS or take the revalidation letter sent to you from the school to the DSS Office and have the bottom section completed and the form taken/sent to the school as soon as possible.
Child Tax Credit: Tax Credits Award Notice
or
If your benefit is paid directly into a Bank/Post Office Account: A date stamped letter of entitlement from DSS or take the revalidation letter sent to you from the school to the DSS Office and have the bottom section completed and the form taken/sent to the school as soon as possible.
How often do I have to provide evidence?
You will be asked to provide evidence as stated above twice yearly in February and September. You should provide this evidence at the school or via post at the date specified in your revalidation letter from the school.
Your original form will be used each time with Part 2 updated at the school each February and September.
What should I do if I stop claiming benefits?
If you stop claiming the qualifying benefits you should notify the school immediately.
How does my child/ren receive Free School Meals?
Primary - Each child receiving Free School Meals will be issued with a standard dinner ticket, which is identical to the tickets given to those who pay for their school meal. The tickets are then exchanged for a meal in the dinner hall/canteen.
Secondary - The Council's can be used by all pupils within each city secondary school to receive school meals. If a pupil is eligible for Free School Meals their Accord Card will have this information stored on it.
At lunchtime all pupils Accord Cards are swiped through the till to make 'payment'. The till will automatically know if the pupil is entitled to free school meals. This means that no cash/ticket is exchanged between any pupil and catering staff, making those receiving free meals anonymous.
Contact
| Education Financial Services |
