What the maximum parental annual income level has been in each year since 2007 for children to be eligible for free school meals.

The criteria to qualify for free school meals is provided for in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. A summary of the criteria can be accessed on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/schoolmeals/FreeSchoolMeals. Two of the qualifying criteria for free school meals are linked to the income of a parent of a pupil or of a pupil in Scotland and these particular criteria are prescribed in regulations under section 53(3)(a)(iv) of the 1980 Act (the Education (School Lunches) (Scotland) Regulations 2009).
The first qualifying criteria for free school meals linked to income is the receipt of child tax credit by a parent or pupil (and not working tax credit) where the award of child tax credit is based on an income not exceeding an amount specified by Regulations under section 7(1)(a) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 (the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002). These Regulations have been amended a number of times since 2007 by the regulations set out in the following table, to increase the first income threshold for the receipt of child tax credit. These changes in income threshold have resulted in changes to the income threshold qualifying criteria for a free school meal in Scotland.
Regulation
Commencement date
Income level
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2006
6 April 2006
£14,155
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2007
6 April 2007
£14,495
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2008
6 April 2008
£15,575
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2009
6 April 2009
£16,040
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2010
6 April 2010
£16,190
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2011
6 April 2011
£15,860
The Tax Credits Up-rating, etc. Regulations 2013
6 April 2013
£15,910
The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2014
6 April 2014
£16,010
Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2015
6 April 2015
£16,105
The second qualifying criteria for free school meals linked to income is the receipt of child tax credit and working tax credit based on an income not exceeding an amount specified by Regulations under the Tax Credits Act 2002 (the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002). This qualifying criteria was introduced in Scotland in 2009. The Tax Credits Up-rating Regulations 2008 increased the income threshold specified in the Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) Regulations 2002 from £5,220 to £6,420 and that threshold remains unchanged.