Free school dinners

[mogga]

Someone's just asked me about getting free school dinners.

Quick look on the interweb finds me

#
# Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax
Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs)
that does not exceed £15,575
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089


Free schoool dinners but not if you get WTC?

Can you get only CTC but not WTC if your inome does not exceed 15575?

I thought if you got CTC under 15575k a year you would automatically
get WTC? Is that not the case? I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly
confused.

[Robbie]

Post by mogga
Someone's just asked me about getting free school dinners.
Quick look on the interweb finds me
#
# Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax
Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs)
that does not exceed £15,575
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089
Free schoool dinners but not if you get WTC?
Can you get only CTC but not WTC if your inome does not exceed 15575?
I thought if you got CTC under 15575k a year you would automatically
get WTC? Is that not the case? I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly
confused.

WTC is the replacement for Working Families Tax Credit and before that
Family Credit which, when the latter was introduced in 1988, included an
amount for school meals. That's the dubious reason why WTC itself
doesn't passport someone to free school meals.

Some councils (mine included) now give free school meals to WTC
recipients but it's not a statutory obligation.

Child Tax Credit is worked out under different rules so free school
meals rules differ.

[mogga]

Post by Robbie

Post by mogga
Someone's just asked me about getting free school dinners.
Quick look on the interweb finds me
#
# Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax
Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs)
that does not exceed £15,575
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089
Free schoool dinners but not if you get WTC?
Can you get only CTC but not WTC if your inome does not exceed 15575?
I thought if you got CTC under 15575k a year you would automatically
get WTC? Is that not the case? I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly
confused.

WTC is the replacement for Working Families Tax Credit and before that
Family Credit which, when the latter was introduced in 1988, included an
amount for school meals. That's the dubious reason why WTC itself
doesn't passport someone to free school meals.
Some councils (mine included) now give free school meals to WTC
recipients but it's not a statutory obligation.
Child Tax Credit is worked out under different rules so free school
meals rules differ.

Thanks for that.

Our council has this on it's site

Free School Meals

You can claim free school meals if you get:

* Income Support
* Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance

but more info about the CT and WTC thing in the PDF. They don't make
it easy for people to understand.

[Robbie]

Post by mogga

Post by Robbie

Post by mogga
Someone's just asked me about getting free school dinners.
Quick look on the interweb finds me
#
# Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax
Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs)
that does not exceed £15,575
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089
Free schoool dinners but not if you get WTC?
Can you get only CTC but not WTC if your inome does not exceed 15575?
I thought if you got CTC under 15575k a year you would automatically
get WTC? Is that not the case? I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly
confused.

WTC is the replacement for Working Families Tax Credit and before that
Family Credit which, when the latter was introduced in 1988, included an
amount for school meals. That's the dubious reason why WTC itself
doesn't passport someone to free school meals.
Some councils (mine included) now give free school meals to WTC
recipients but it's not a statutory obligation.
Child Tax Credit is worked out under different rules so free school
meals rules differ.

Thanks for that.
Our council has this on it's site
Free School Meals
* Income Support
* Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance
but more info about the CT and WTC thing in the PDF. They don't make
it easy for people to understand.

Actually I just reread my council's website. It's gone back to WTC = no
free school meals, so I guess it was an error. Apparently some councils
are going to trial free school meals for all primary age pupils
regardless of income. Maybe they put the information about this online
instead.

The rules about free school meals is now explained in a bit more detail
at my local council website:

children whose parents receive the following support payments are
entitled to receive free school meals:
• Income Support (IS)
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit
and have an annual income, as assessed by HMRC that does not exceed £15,575.
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit.

The following benefits do not entitle you to free school meals:
• Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Working Tax Credit
• Foster Allowance
• Council Tax Benefit
• Incapacity Benefit



As I said previously, Family Credit included an amount for free school
meals in the calculation and this has been kept with WFTC and now WTC.
Hence why if it is in payment (even if it is just a small amount) a
person cannot qualify for free school meals.

[Cuddly]

"mogga" <***@NOSPAMPLEASEmogga.com> wrote in message news:***@4ax.com
I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly

Post by mogga
confused.

As it does us all.Thing that bugs me is ,it is all worked out before tax but
time the tax is taken off we are under what they allow for the freebies but
we still have to pay for everything i.e:under 15 grand to get help with
dentist after tax yer only getting about 12 grand a year therfore we should
be entitled to free help???and then we are taxed again for shopping and any
money that goes through bank that gets interest on.grrrrr you started me of
on me soap box now.

[mogga]

On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:30:37 +0100, "Cuddly"

Post by mogga
I'm afraid WTC leave me utterly

Post by mogga
confused.

As it does us all.Thing that bugs me is ,it is all worked out before tax but
time the tax is taken off we are under what they allow for the freebies but
we still have to pay for everything i.e:under 15 grand to get help with
dentist after tax yer only getting about 12 grand a year therfore we should
be entitled to free help???and then we are taxed again for shopping and any
money that goes through bank that gets interest on.grrrrr you started me of
on me soap box now.

It is particularly complicated and insane - and repayable if you get
it wrong which makes it particularly scary for people.