Free school meals pilot

Why did you get a letter about free school meals?

We are running a new pilot. This is to help families who may qualify for free school meals but haven’t applied yet.

The pilot starts in Surrey Heath and Elmbridge in May 2025. Other areas will take part later in the year.
The Council is working with Policy in Practice and local councils to find families who might qualify.
If your child qualifies:
- They will get free meals, saving you up to £500 per year
- They could access other benefits like Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) during the school holidays
- Their school could also get up to £1,480 per year in extra funding

We matched data from our school census with benefits data from local councils. This showed your household may qualify for free school meals.
Policy in Practice carried out this check securely and confidentially.
Your personal information has not been shared with the council during this stage.

If you don’t opt out:

Policy in Practice will share your details with the council’s eligibility team.
- your name, date of birth, and National Insurance or NASS number
- your child or children’s names and name of their school
The team will check if you qualify and tell your child’s school.
The school will then contact you with the result

Yes. The council is allowed to do this under laws that support families and help schools provide free meals:

Localism Act 2011 – allows councils to support local wellbeing
Education Act 1996 – requires schools to provide free meals to eligible pupils
Education Act 2005 – allows the sharing of Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) data to check eligibility

We only use your data for this purpose and keep it secure. For details, see Free school meals eligibility checking service – privacy notice