Parents claiming Universal Credit and other benefits may be able to get extra financial help to feed their children over the Easter holiday break.
Families can claim vouchers to spend at supermarkets that are equivalent to what your child may have been receiving at school. This can be up to £30, depending on where in the UK you live.
Eligibility for free school meals - or their equivalent - varies slightly between local councils. However, children from households on a number of benefits are typically eligible from the ages of 4 to 16.
READ MORE: Universal Credit claimants could get £500 grant if they have kids
These benefits are:
- 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 guaranteed element of pension credit
- Child tax credit (provided you’re not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual income of no more than £16,190)
- Working tax credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
- Universal Credit - if you applied on or after April 1, 2018 your household income is less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Separately, all pupils in reception and year's one and two, regardless of income, can get free school meals during term time in state schools, reports the Mirror. You do not need to apply for these Free School Meals, however, if you are on a qualifying benefit making a formal application can benefit your child’s school as they can claim additional funding.
School meal vouchers can be spent at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Aldi. It's worth checking the terms with your local authority as some may accept local stores too.
Families can apply for the support via the child's school or their local authority. Start by entering your postcode into the Gov.uk website to check your local council's guidelines.
If you claim housing benefit or council tax support already, you can apply for free school meals on the same form.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
