Free school meals and assistance with school clothing can be claimed if you are receiving any one of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance
- Any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit, but not in receipt of Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £15,910 (as assessed by the Inland Revenue)
- Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit and an income below £6,420 (as assessed by the Inland Revenue)
- If you are 16 – 18 yrs old and receive any of these benefits in your own right then you can claim for yourself
- If you are an asylum seeker receiving support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
The clothing allowance is made once per school year, and payment is made directly to the applicant for the sum of £50 for every eligible child in Primary or Secondary school. (For claims received after December 2012, the sum of £25 is paid for every eligible child)
An application form for free school meals and the clothing grant can be downloaded from the current documents section. Application forms are also available from Service Points, Head Teachers and the ECS Catering Service.
You must include proof of entitlement with your application form. This should be one of the following documents which should be given to you by the Benefits Office:
- Current Letter of Entitlement
- Tax Credits Award Notice
- Home Office Immigration Form
Completed application forms, with proof of entitlement, should be returned to the address below or in person at the pupil(s) school or the Service Point.
ECS Catering Service, Ruthven House, Drummond Road, Inverness, IV2 4NZ
A new application needs to be submitted for the start of every new school session in August.