School food authorities (SFAs) participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are required to verify income for a small percentage of households approved for free or reduced price meals each school year. However, getting households to respond to verification requests can be challenging for SFA staff. If households do not respond, they lose their benefits regardless of their actual eligibility.
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
A brief overview of the resources contained in the Verification Toolkit, as well as a detailed walk-through outlining a few options for beginning verification before October 1.
PL 109-163 made the Department of Defense’s Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance permanently available.
The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act was amended by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 to specify verification sample sizes for local educational agencies .