Working Tax Credit/Free School Meals - advice appreciated.

Pepzofio

rbbadger wrote: »

My annual income is well below the threshold for free school meals but as I receive WTC I have been told that I can not also have free school meals. WTC is worth just over £14 per month whereas free school meals would be worth around the same amount each week. I am also aware that FSM entitlement also open the doors to other kinds of help. Is there anything I can do?

I'm assuming the £14/mth is actually 4wkly. Are you sure your WTC award is correct?

As even if you were only entitled to the smallest possible WTC max award for a parent (£3,810pa) you would need to be earning £15,722pa to have your WTC award reduced to £3.50/wk. Which is less than £500 under the FSM threshold - and less than £300 when you include the WTC - so hardly 'well below'.

If you are earning significantly less than this, you should contact Tax Credits and make sure they are calculating your award correctly. They're not recovering an overpayment or anything are they?

POPPYOSCAR

Once again a thread asking for benefits advice degenerates into judgements and an argument.

Zeldazog

mitchaa wrote: »

The discussion point here is, what is income. (Try a google definition search )

No, surely the discussion point here should be what the original poster's question was?

DX2

Zeldazog wrote: »

No, surely the discussion point here should be what the original poster's question was?

Which has been answered in the first page.

rwgray

eklynne wrote: »

I don't claim WTC (I'm a student) but I still get my NHS exemption card, in fact my new one came in 2 weeks ago. Am I being given this by mistake??

Our WTC claim continues but our NHS cards have expired. Do we need to ask for new ones?

Thanks, Rich.x

karenx

If you still qualify you would of got it sent out automatically. If you dont have one your not entitled

DX2

karenx wrote: »

If you still qualify you would of got it sent out automatically. If you dont have one your not entitled

Mine hasn't come yet and I'm entitled, I guess I am going to have to chase them up.

DanE2010

Exemption certificates can take up to 8 weeks from the date your award notice was issued to arrive.

kate252

yes- i noticed that to- i found working so hard- as i was worse off deffinately- no school meal help- no budget loan help- and a host of othe things- this year my sn is going on a school trip to berlin- i need to stay on ESA so as my son can get financial help to get him on this trip.
if i was working there would be this massive presumptio that my child isnt needy any more and that i can afford all sorts f things fr hm- unfortunately this isnt the case- wish it was

kate252

and before any troll buts in- my ESA is genuine claim- and im genuinely not able to work- wish i was