The Department for Work and Pensions Household Support Fund (October 2021)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has established a new £500 million Household Support Fund to help the hardest-hit families and individuals with daily needs such as food, clothing and utilities. The fund is being run by Local Authorities in England, who are best placed to identify and help those children and families most in need.
You can find more information on support for vulnerable families over winter. Further details on the Household Support Fund will be available on DWP’s website in due course.
Financial Support with Uniform, School Trips and Visits
Help may be available from school towards the cost of uniform, trips and visits for families facing financial difficulties. Your application will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and will not be discussed with your son/daughter. The school’s finance team, will be happy to discuss your application with you.
Free School Meals and the Pupil Premium
Check your eligibility and save hundreds of pounds (over £350 per year) and help school funds. We are asking parents and carers to check their eligibility for free school meals. Free school meals can save you hundreds of pounds a year. They will also help raise money for our school because of the Pupil Premium, a government commitment to pay schools £900 a year for each pupil registered as entitled to free school meals. This is money the school can benefit from for funding new equipment or maybe new teaching staff.
Qualifying benefits
You may be eligible to receive free school meals if you receive one of these benefits:
- Income Support
- Job Seeker’s Allowance (income-based)
- Employment Support Allowance (income-related)
- Child Tax Credit, so long as you do not get Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) is not more than £16,190. Anyone receiving Working Tax Credit is not entitled to free school meals regardless of their income.
- you get support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- you receive the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit.
Even if you do not wish your child to have a free school meal (maybe because you want to provide a packed lunch), you can still register and the school will receive the additional funding from the Pupil Premium.
If you think you may be entitled please download and complete this document and return to the address on the form.
If you have any queries or need help in completing the form please do not hesitate in contacting the school.