Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in what way the eligibility criteria for the pupil premium take account of the level and security of income of parents on (a) zero-hour contracts and (b) temporary contracts.

The main eligibility criterion for the pupil premium is whether a pupil aged 4-16 has been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years.

FSM eligibility captures both non-working families and families working for less than 16 hours per week, and this is based on a parent being in receipt of particular benefits, such as: income-based Jobseekers Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Child Tax Credit, provided they have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 and are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit; and Working Tax Credit run-on, paid for four weeks after anyone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit.