SCHOOL MEALS VOUCHER SYSTEM
Dear Parents/ Carers,
The government has issued guidance about the free school meals voucher system that will replace the packed lunch bags currently being provided at school.
If you are entitled to free school meals THROUGH THE BENEFITS SYSTEM (details of this provided below), the following arrangements will apply:
From week beginning MONDAY 20 APRIL (after the Easter holidays), we will have the new government voucher scheme up and running. This will entitle the parents of each child who is eligible for free school meals UNDER THE BENEFITS SYSTEM, to receive a weekly voucher worth £15.
There will be two ways for eligible parents to access the vouchers. The easiest way will be for you to send us your email address. We will then be able to send you a code which you will be able to use to generate an e-voucher (clear instructions will be provided on how to do this) for a supermarket from the list below:
Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, M&S Food.
Alternatively, if you have not got access to an email account, the school can generate the voucher on your behalf for your chosen supermarket. The voucher will then be available for collection from school at a pre-arranged time.
You will shortly receive a text asking for you to supply us with an email address or to let us know if you do not have access to one. We will give you further details in due course. Please reply to the text message with your email address and names of all your children you wish to claim a voucher for who are in reception to year 6. Alternatively please e-mail willington@durhamlearning.net, send a PRIVATE message on the schools Facebook page or contact us via our website.
This is a positive development which means that after the Easter holidays, you will no longer have to make the journey to school every day to collect packed lunches. I would, however, like to say a big thank you to our kitchen staff who have provided our children with packed lunches up to this point.
Please note that there will be NO packed lunches available during the Easter holidays.
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
o Income Support
o income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
o income-related Employment and Support Allowance
o support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
o the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
o Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
o Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
o Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If you do not receive a text message and you believe you are eligible please contact us via a private Facebook message, email willington@durhamlearning.net or our website.
