Free school meals and clothing grants

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Click on the links below for answers to each question:

What is a clothing grant?
Who is eligible for free school meals and/or clothing grants?
How and when do I apply?
What evidence do I need?
When and how will I receive my clothing grant payment?
When will the school be notified my child is entitled to free school meals?
What if I have not received or I have lost my clothing grant cheque?


What is a clothing grant?
A clothing grant is a payment made by Renfrewshire Council to qualifying parents or guardians to assist with the purchase of school uniforms. For session 2011-2012, the level of clothing grant is £55 per eligible pupil. A maximum of one grant will be paid for each child during any school year.

Who is eligible for free school meals and/or clothing grants?
Parents or guardians of children attending Renfrewshire primary, secondary or special schools during the school session who satisfy the financial conditions detailed below are eligible to apply for free school meals and/or clothing grants. 
Parents or guardians of children resident in Renfrewshire who have been placed by Education and Leisure Services in a special school or special unit outside Renfrewshire Council's control and who satisfy the financial conditions detailed below are also eligible.

Benefit received	Entitled to
Income Support	Free school meals and clothing grant
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance	Free school meals and clothing grant
Income-related element of Employment Support Allowance	Free school meals and clothing grant
Both maximum Child Tax Credit and maximum Working Tax Credit with an income of under £6,420*	Free school meals and clothing grant
Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit with an income of under £15,860*	Free school meals and clothing grant
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999	Free school meals and clothing grant
Housing Benefit	Clothing grant only
Council Tax Benefit	Clothing grant only
Working Tax Credit with an income of under £15,860*	Clothing grant only

* Eligibility is determined by the benefit applicants currently receive, not their annual income. Therefore, when assessing applications based on the tax credit criteria, the figure HMRC have used when assessing your eligibility to tax credits will be used for assessing your entitlement to clothing grants and/or free school meals. For example if HMRC have currently awarded you maximum Child Tax Credit and maximum Working Tax Credit based on a projected income for this financial year of under £6,420, you meet the income criteria for free school meals and a clothing grant.

Pension Credit is not a qualifying benefit however those in receipt of Pension Credit may also receive Child Tax Credit if they have full time responsibility for bringing up a child. See the table above for qualifying Child Tax Credit criteria.

How and when do I apply?
If you have an active housing or council tax benefit claim with Renfrewshire Council, call our Customer Contact Centre on 0141 842 4488 to apply for free school meals and / or clothing grants.

If you do not have an active housing or council tax benefit claim with Renfrewshire Council, visit our Customer Service Centre or Customer Service Points with the required evidence.

Our Customer Contact Centre and Customer Service Centre are open from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday. Our Customer Service Points are open from 8.45am until 4.45pm, Monday to Thursday, and 8.45am until 3.55pm on Fridays.

The earliest you can apply for free school meals and/or clothing grants for the following school year is from 1 May. Please note if you are applying for a child who has never previously attended a Renfrewshire Council nursery or school, we will be unable to accept an application for that child until there enrolment has been completed. This is usually during the early part of August.

The last date for completed clothing grant applications (including all required evidence) is 31 March for that school year. No clothing grant applications will be accepted after this date.

Free school meals can be applied for right until the end of the school year.

What evidence do I need?
If you have an active housing or council tax benefit claim, we may be able to verify your entitlement over the telephone. If you do not have an active housing or council tax benefit claim, you will need:

• evidence you are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, for example, an Income Support award letter, and
• evidence you are responsible for the child or children you are applying for, for example, a child benefit award letter.  

If you need a copy of your award letter for:

• Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance, contact the Department for Work and Pensions on 0845 608 8598.
• Tax Credits, contact HM Revenue & Customs on 0845 300 3900.
• Child Benefit, contact HM Revenue & Customs on 0845 302 1444.
• Pension Credits, contact the Pension Service on 0845 606 0265.

When and how will I receive my clothing grant payment?
Clothing grant payments are made by cheque and posted out to you. These are usually processed within three weeks of a successful application. Payments for children who are over the school leaving age (those who turn 16 before September 30) are not processed until after the start of the new school session and so may not be received until around three weeks after the start of the school session.

When will the school be notified my child is entitled to free school meals?
Schools will receive details of pupils eligible for free school meals the next school day after a successful application.

What if I have not received or I have lost my clothing grant cheque?
If you are sure that your cheque has been sent to you or it has been mislaid or gone missing, you may apply for a replacement cheque. For a replacement cheque to be issued, you must visit the Customer Service Centre or a Customer Service Point to complete the appropriate declaration form.

Depending on the circumstances, some applications for replacement cheques may involve Renfrewshire Council asking the local police to investigate.

Renfrewshire Council will only issue a replacement cheque to the applicant, in person, once they are satisfied it is appropriate. This will mean collecting the replacement cheque from the Customer Service Centre.

Find out more
For more information on free school meals and clothing Grants, call our Customer Contact Centre on 0141 842 4488.

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