City of York Council has teamed up with York and North Yorkshire Primary Care Trust to remind parents that their children could be eligible for up to £300 of free school meals a year.

Free school meals can be claimed by parents who receive: - Income support - Income-based job seekers allowance - support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 - Child Tax Credit - Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit.

The claiming process is very straight forward and all parents have to do is take proof that they are receiving one of the benefits to City of York Council's education reception at Mill House, North Street.

Barbara Kistasamy, the council's client contracts manager, said: "Parents may not be aware that they could be eligible to claim free school meals. It's a simple process, and once completed, will mean that their child or children can receive healthy, nutritionally balanced and tasty school meals. York's new school meals are amongst the best in the country and there's no reason for children to miss out or not to eat healthily."

York has used the government's Targetted School Meals Grant on various school based initiatives, including a greenhouse, growing club and fruit tuck Shop at Rufforth Primary School and the creation of a cookery club at Clifton Green Primary School.

Thanks to these initiatives and new government nutritional guidelines for school meals, even more pupils have taken up school meals since the start of the school year.

Information about how to claim free school meals is available at City of York Council libraries, schools and NHS facilities across the city. Alternatively residents can call the council's school meals team on 01904 554243 or email schoolmealservice@york.gov.uk.