School Meals
Our school lunches are prepared daily at Tollgate Primary school. We share our weekly menu on our school notices every Friday.
Universal Free School Meals
- Infants: All children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 automatically get free school lunches, regardless of your household income or benefits.
Benefits-Based Free School Meals (Year 3 and above)
The system is now split into two categories for families receiving qualifying benefits:
- Targeted Free School Meals: For households on Universal Credit with net earned annual income of £7,400 or less (after tax, excluding benefits), or those receiving legacy benefits like Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or the guarantee element of Pension Credit. This tier unlocks extra school funding like Pupil Premium and holiday activity programs.
- Expanded Free School Meals: For households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings above £7,400. Children get a free daily meal, but this tier does not include additional premium funding or wider benefits like certain travel
Applying for Free School Meals
If you think your child is eligible to benefit from pupil premium funding and to receive Free School Meals please apply directly via the Suffolk County Council website.
Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)
All infant pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 are eligible for Universal Infants Free School Meals.
If you receive benefits and your child gets Universal Infant Free School Meals you should still apply online for Free School Meals. This will allow our school to receive extra funding that could support your child.
You can apply for Universal Infant Free School Meals as soon as your child’s place at school is confirmed.
FAQ’s
Your child will get free school meals if you receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit but no element of Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- If you are supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finishes or after you start to work fewer hours per week
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month), as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
To check if your child is eligible, apply online for an immediate response or call Suffolk County Council on 0345 606 6067 for advice.
If you have not been allocated a school place for your child yet, please wait for confirmation of this place before you apply for free school meals.
If your child is eligible for and has been registered to receive free school meals between 1 April 2018 and the end of the rollout of Universal Credits (currently expected to be March 2024), they will remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in at the end of Universal Credits rollout. This is regardless of any change to your circumstances.
If your child is attending a nursery school:
they must be in a maintained school nursery as a registered pupil at the school
your child must be in receipt of education before and after lunch on the same day
you must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit (as described below)
you should apply online by clicking the blue button below.