Education transport criteria for low income families
For the academic year 2023/24 a low income household for education transport purposes is defined as one where the child is eligible to Free School Meals or where an adult living there is in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Income Support (evidence dated within the last month)
- income-based Jobseekers Allowance (evidence dated within the last month)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (evidence dated within the last month)
- Universal Credit (provided your household income after tax is less than £7,400 per year, as assessed by earnings from the three most recent assessment periods, evidenced by the Universal Credit journal)
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (evidence dated within the last month)
- the guarantee part of Pension Credit (valid award notice required)
- the maximum level of Working Tax Credit (current award notice required - see below)
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £17,005 - current award notice required)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit (current award notice required)
Children who receive any of the qualifying benefits listed above in their own right are also eligible within the Low Income criteria.
Where a child lives in two households for equal amounts of time, the one where their Child Benefit is paid is taken as the one where they are resident.
Determining whether you are receiving maximum Working Tax Credit
When tax credits are first awarded, or following a change in household circumstances, HM Revenue and Customs issue a “tax credits award notice” detailing the breakdown and amount of the award. Part Two of the award notice gives details of “How we work out your tax credits”. The figure for any reduction due to your income must be £0.00 to be in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit. If you present a review notification (TC603R), this should show a maximum income of £7,400 to evidence you are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit.