Refused free school meals

restless6

When my son was in sixth form, he got £20 a week towards food, books etc from the school directly to him, because i was on a low income. i had to ask for it, it wasn't offered. Maybe you could do the same?
I didnt qualify for free school meals either, because i work and get working tax credit. I also received partial housing and council tax benefit , but this does not allow you to claim free school meals.

I think if there are 3 of you in the house and you only work 20hrs a week then you really need to increase you hours or get a second job, if your husband is not well enough to work.
If you are struggling to feed your daughter then think how would you cope with an unexpected bill etc.

Icequeen99

I think the Local Authority are wrong - you need to ask them if there is an appeal against it.

It is your income for tax credit purposes that is relevant - HMRC already compare current and previous year, the Local Authority do not do that. They should take the income from your tax credits award notice.

IQ

pmlindyloo

Icequeen99 wrote: »

I think the Local Authority are wrong - you need to ask them if there is an appeal against it.

It is your income for tax credit purposes that is relevant - HMRC already compare current and previous year, the Local Authority do not do that. They should take the income from your tax credits award notice.

IQ

Looking at your previous post

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5329621

the problem might be that HMRC have the wrong information about your tax credits and this is the information that the local authority are using.

I believe that you need to ring tax credits and get this sorted out so that you have a decision letter saying that you no longer qualify for working tax credits. This decision letter can then be used as proof to show that you have an entitlement to free school meals.

girlsmum

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

There's still the elephant in the room...

If you need to feed your child and can't afford it - and your husband has stopped looking and applying for work - then you need to increase your income and fast.

I know it isn't easy but that's the reality - just 'preparing' for some pie in the sky possible opportunity can be done at the weekends or in the evenings.... your OH needs to spend every effort on finding something that pays now.... or you need to take on extra work.

seriously!!! OP did not state at all that she cannot afford to feed her child, can you point out where she put that? she was asking for advice as to the regulations in claiming free school meals which will ease the pressure on her current finances.

OP i hope you get a response to your complaint

NYM

girlsmum wrote: »

seriously!!! OP did not state at all that she cannot afford to feed her child, can you point out where she put that? she was asking for advice as to the regulations in claiming free school meals which will ease the pressure on her current finances.

OP i hope you get a response to your complaint

The OP wrote

'So if he gets a job next year and we don't need the money, this presumably means we will qualify for help next year as it's based on this years income - but we can't get help right now when we actually need it???'

sheramber

Icequeen99 wrote: »

I think the Local Authority are wrong - you need to ask them if there is an appeal against it.

It is your income for tax credit purposes that is relevant - HMRC already compare current and previous year, the Local Authority do not do that. They should take the income from your tax credits award notice.

IQ

As the child is at college the funding is not from the local authority it is from the Education Funding Agency who supply the funding to the college.

As the entitlement states an annual income the currnet year's annual income will not be known until after 5 April 2016.

The current year income could only be estimated. and finalised after April.

Either partner could increase their income before then and the award no longer be due- as happens with tax credits where an estimate is used and then they are recalculated when the final figures are known.

In that scenario there would be endless complications trying to recover the value of the free meals.

Icequeen99

Fair enough, i missed that part.

Free school meals in schools are covered by legislation and that refers to income for TC purposes.

For colleges - is it a national scheme? is there legislation?

IQ