Grants

At present, there are three grants that parents may apply for when their daughter changes school at the age of eleven.

1 - School Clothing Grant

A School Clothing Grant can help towards the cost of a school uniform for children aged 11 changing from primary to secondary school. The grant is £77.00 for each child.

To qualify you should be receiving one of the following benefits:

• Income Support/Jobseekers Allowance (Income based)
• Working Families Tax Credit

You may also qualify if one of the following benefits is your only form of income:

• Incapacity Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Disability Working Allowance
• Disabled Person’s Tax Credit
• Widowed Mothers Allowance
• State Retirement Pension

Apply by 30th September each year. To apply contact your nearest Benefit Office.

Tower Hamlets Benefit Offices:

Bethnal Green
255/279 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 OHQ
020 7364 3565

Bow/North Poplar
1 Gladstone Place
London E3 53S
0207 364 5650

Isle of Dogs/South Poplar
Jack Dash House
2 Lawn House Close
London E14 9YG
0207 364 6104

Homeless Services (Benefits)
Great Eastern Enterprise Centre
Block B, Millharbour
London E14 9XP
0207 364 7318

Stepney/Wapping
Cheviot House
227-233 Commercial Road
London E1 2BU
0207 364 2751

You will be paid by cheque, which must be paid into a building society or bank
account in your name.

2 - Free School Lunches

Children whose parents/carers are in receipt of the following benefits are eligible to receive free school lunches:

• Income Support (IS).
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA).
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (i.e. asylum seekers who are financially supported by Social Services).
• Child Tax Credit, but not entitled to a Working Tax Credit and whose annual income (assessed by the Inland Revenue) does not exceed £13,230.
• For the new category of the Child Tax Credit, it will not be necessary to calculate a family’s annual taxable income. The Inland Revenue will perform this calculation and provide a figure that can be used to determine free school lunch entitlement. Each time a tax credit award is calculated, The Inland Revenue will issue a Tax Credit. Award notice (TC602) to the applicant. Please note you do not have to be liable for rent or liable for council tax in order to claim free school meals for your children.

The child’s parent or carer must make a claim:

• Either as part of a housing benefit or council tax benefit claim – you do not need to complete a separate claim form
• Or by completing a Tower Hamlets Free School Meals Form – you must do this if you are not also claiming or entitled to housing benefit or council tax benefit.

3 - Travelling Expenses

Free home-to-school transport will only be provided for children of compulsory school age where both of the following conditions are met:

• The distance between home and school is 3 miles or more for a child aged 8 and over when it is agreed that the journey cannot be taken by bus.
• There is no place available at a nearer school
• Distances are measured by the nearest available walking route. There may be other exceptional circumstances where travel assistance would be considered.

If you would like further advice, please contact:

Pupil Services
Mulberry Place
5 Clove Crescent
London E14 2BG
Telephone - 0207 364 4301

Please note the above policy only applies to children living in Tower Hamlets. If you child lives in another borough you should contact your Local Education Authority for advice on Home to School Transport.

Financial Support for Post-16 Students

Sixth Form students who are eligible for an Education Maintenance Allowance may claim a maximum of 6 terms of support or 9 terms where they have a statement of special educational needs. Advice can be found at www.direct.gov.uk. Students who live in Tower Hamlets and who will have exhausted their EMA entitlement but will be continuing their studies in the Sixth Form in 2008/9 can apply to the Tower Hamlets and Canary Wharf Further Education Trust Fund for financial support. Each application is considered on its merits.