Free Prescriptions/ free school meals earnings cap?

Blinkandyou_llmisshim

I work part time and my partner is carer to our autistic son and claims carers allowance. We are on tax credits and get free school meals and free prescriptions. I'm worried with the carer allowance rate and my hourly wage going up, this may take our earnings over the threshold for these benefits. I can't find anything to say the amount you can earn has also gone up? The amount of £16,190 for free school meals seems to have been the same for years! Thank you.

poppy12345

No, the amount you can earn hasn't increased. Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

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

sheramber

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/exemption-certificates/nhs-tax-credit-exemption-certificates

You're entitled to full help with health costs if your annual family income used to calculate your Tax Credits is £15,276 or less and you receive either:

• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit paid together
• Working Tax Credit including a disability or severe disability element

jackieblack

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1133262/Free_school_meals.pdf
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 • The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

In addition, the following pupils will be protected against losing their free school meals as follows:
• Since 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants have continued to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This applies even if their earnings rise above the threshold during that time.
•In addition, any pupil gaining eligibility for free school meals after 1 April 2018 will be protected against losing free school meals until March 2025.
• After March 2025, any existing claimants that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point (because they are earning above the threshold or are no longer a recipient of Universal Credit) will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (i.e. primary or secondary).