ESA and free school meals

stephief

Hello all,

I’m after some clear info on free school meal eligibility because, frankly, I feel like I am going round in circles.

My husband is disabled, mentally and physically, so we claim ESA. We also have children so we claim CTC. My son has recently started college in a different town and I asked them today about his free school meal entitlement (he is now 16, in further education) and his college have said he is not entitled to free school meals because, even though we claim IR ESA, which is a qualifying benefit, because we also claim CTC and our income is above £16900, we don’t qualify. We don’t claim WTC, just CTC.

Is this right? Strangely my daughter, who is in her second year of college, in our town, does get free school meals! Hence the confusion. I’ve tried googling it but nothing gives a definitive answer if the threshold mentioned under CTC cancels out the eligibility for IR ESA.

We are in England.

Thanks in advance, if anyone can shed any light on this that would be brilliant.

calcotti

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/free-school-meals

My reading of this is that if you get income based ESA you qualify.

In any case the income threshold for Tax Credits appears to only only apply to people who get WTC as well as CTC so should not affect you even if you were not getting income based ESA.

Furthermore if he was previously getting FSM he should continue to get them until 31 March 2022 regardless of any change in circumstances (subject to being in qualifying education of course). This is a transitional provision related to the rollout of UC.

Full government guidance is here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/700139/Free_school_meals_guidance_Apr18.pdf

[Deleted User]

I thought they had reduced the income levels for FSM to around £7500?

https://www.tes.com/news/government-sets-ps7400-annual-income-threshold-free-school-meals

calcotti

venison wrote: »

I thought they had reduced the income levels for FFSM to around £7500?

https://www.tes.com/news/government-sets-ps7400-annual-income-threshold-free-school-meals

Appears to relate to those on UC. I think that’s why there’s a transitional provision for those with an existing entitlement to continue to receive FSM until 31 March 2022 (which was probably the predicted end date for UC rollout at the time the provision was introduced).

NeilCr

calcotti wrote: »

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/free-school-meals

My reading of this is that if you get income based ESA you qualify.




l]

I'd agree

From gov.uk

"Any of the following"

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

The only thing that worries me a bit is that both links use could/may

poppy12345

I claim Income Related ESA, my daughter attends college and she claims free school meals.