Proof of Benefit Letter
If you are in receipt of one of the following:
- Income Support;
- Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;
You should request a Proof of Benefits letter now via Get a proof of benefit letter. It will take at least five days to be sent to you. Once you receive the letter keep it securely and then upload a copy of the letter when you apply for Free School Meals and Uniform. This letter must be dated no earlier than the beginning of the month before you submit your application.
If you receive Tax Credits or Universal Credit you do not require the above letter.
Parent Checklist
Am I eligible?
To be eligible, you must be in receipt of one of the following:
- Income Support;
- Income Based Jobseekers’ Allowance;
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable household income of £16,190 or less;
- Universal Credit with net household earnings not exceeding £14,000 per year.
Or, you are an Asylum Seeker supported by the Home Office Asylum Support Assessment Team (ASAT).
What documentation do I need?
When applying, you will be asked to upload proof that you are receiving a qualifying benefit - such as your Tax Credits Award Notice or your Universal Credit Payments breakdown or your Proof of Benefit letter (if you are in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Related Employment and Support Allowance or the Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit).
What else do I need?
You will need your National Insurance Number; your childrens’ names, dates of births and schools they will be attending; your address, e-mail and telephone number; your bank or building society account and sort code.
Free School Meals / School Uniform / Physical Education Clothing applications for 2023/24 school year can now be made online by clicking the link below.
You must register your email address and create an account for the 2023/24 school year before an application can be submitted even if you received Free School Meals and Uniform Allowance in the 2022/23 school year. Please check your details carefully before you submit.
The application must be made by the person receiving benefits who is named on the Proof of Benefit Letter / Tax Credits Award Notice / Universal Credit Payments Breakdown.
Please include in your application all children for whom you have parental responsibility and who will be attending full time at school or Regional/FE College as you will be unable to amend later.
The application form works best with an up-to-date web browser (the software you use to access the internet). If you are using an old web browser or if it is out of date, the page may not display properly. The Gov.uk website provides information on upgrading to a newer browser.
We will review the information provided and will inform you of our decision within 3 weeks.
If you have not submitted the correct information we will email you, please check your email junk or spam folder.
If additional information is required or any difficulty is experienced, parents can contact the Meals and Uniform Service.
More information can also be found in our Frequently Asked Questions.