If you are the parent, foster parent, network family carer or guardian of children at school and you are on a low income, you could get Free School Meals and a School Clothing Allowance.
Your children are entitled to Free School Meals if you receive:
- Income support, or
- Job Seeker's Allowance (income based), or
- State Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit), or
- Employment and Support Allowance (income related), or
- Child Tax Credit, as long as you do not receive Working Tax Credit and you have an annual taxable income as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs which does not exceed £16,190.00.
You can also get Free School Meals if you are entitled to a Working Tax Credit Run On for four weeks after stopping work or reducing working hours to under 16 hours per week.
Children who receive Income Support or Income Based Job Seeker's Allowance in their own right are also entitled to receive Free School Meals, if they are still at school.
Children of any age attending nurseries attached to a Local Education Authority maintained school can also have Free School Meals if they do both morning and afternoon sessions in a day. Provision at Early Years Centres is handled by Education Leeds.
How do I claim?
You can download a claim form from this page, or pick one up from your nearest One Stop Centre. The form can also be used to claim Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and second adult rebate. There is also an information booklet which provides details about the benefit claim process and what information we need from you.
If you would like a form sent to you, please contact us. Your completed claim form should be sent to the address shown at the top right of this page, or you can hand it in at any One Stop Centre or local housing office.
You can also contact us by telephone on 0113 222 4404.
Our minicom number is 0113 222 4410
You can contact us by telephone Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
How much clothing allowance will I get?
If you claim with us and qualify for Free School Meals, a School Clothing Allowance payment will be sent to you for each of your children before the school year starts in September. This allowance is for purchasing suitable school wear and is paid each year.
- For reception year children you will get £27.50
- For children in years one to six you will get £20
- For children in year seven you will get £37.50
- For children in years eight to eleven you will get £30
Nursery children and sixth formers (years 12 and 13) are not entitled to School Clothing Allowance.
Payment of School Clothing Allowance is made by Post Office Payout.
You will receive a bar coded letter, which can be taken to any Post Office and exchanged for cash, subject to providing the relevant proof of identification. Acceptable proofs of ID are:
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Income Support award letter
- Job Seeker's Allowance award letter
- Employment Support Allowance award letter
- Recent utility bill
- Bank or credit card statement
Asylum seekers
You may be entitled to Free School Meals and a School Clothing Allowance if you are an asylum seeker living in Leeds. Leeds Revenues and Benefits Service will notify your school of your entitlement - you do not need to fill in a form. If you are not receiving these and think you should be please ask at your child’s school.
Financial Help for Older Children
Students on higher education courses may be able to get loans to help with study costs. For further information please refer to the Student Loan section of this webpage. Please note the Education Maintenance Allowance Scheme is due to end and no new applications are being accepted.