Benefit / Scheme Eligibility Criteria Further Information ......Eligibility Criteria for Passported...

Eligibility Criteria for Passported Benefits and Other Schemes

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This table sets out the arrangements in place for the Welsh Government’s passported benefits and other schemes as at November 2019. Full information on eligibility can be found via the websites listed.

Benefit / Scheme Eligibility Criteria Further Information

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Free School Meals Free school meals are available to eligible pupils who attend school full-time. This includes:

Younger children who attend nursery for full days

Sixth form school pupils A pupil may be able to get free school meals if their parent or guardian gets any of the following:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Guarantee element of Pension Credit

Child Tax Credit (provided the parent isn’t entitled to Working Tax Credit and has an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after a claimant stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Universal Credit, provided the household has an annualised net earned income2 of no more than £7,400 (as assessed by earnings from up to three of their most recent assessment periods).

Pupils who receive Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Income-based

For children/young people to be eligible to receive free school meals:

the parent (or child/young person) must be in receipt of the relevant benefit or support payment

an application for free school meals should have been submitted to the local authority

the application should have been approved, or documents should have been seen that strongly indicate eligibility.

Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: Free-school-meals-frequently-asked-questions Caseload / expenditure Achievement-and-entitlement-free-school-meals

https://gov.wales/free-school-meals-frequently-asked-questionshttps://gov.wales/free-school-meals-frequently-asked-questionshttps://gov.wales/achievement-and-entitlement-free-school-mealshttps://gov.wales/achievement-and-entitlement-free-school-meals


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Jobseeker’s Allowance in their own right could also be able to receive free school meals.

Free Breakfasts in Primary Schools All children who go to a primary school which is maintained by a local authority can have a free breakfast at school, if their school provides free breakfasts. If their school doesn’t provide free breakfasts, you can ask them if they could start providing them. Local authorities must provide schools with free breakfasts if the school’s governing body schools asks for them, unless it is unreasonable to do so.

Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: food-drink-schools

Milk for Primary School Children

All primary school children at Foundation Phase are eligible to receive free milk if their school participates in the school milk scheme. All primary school children at Key Stage 2 are eligible to receive subsidised milk if their school participates in the school milk scheme.

Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: The School Milk Scheme and food-drink-schools

School Residential Trips

Pupils whose parents / carers who are in receipt of the following benefits are exempt from paying the cost of board and lodging for residential trips taking place during school time. Income Support Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance Universal Credit

Guarantee element of the State Pension Credit

You will need to discuss this with your school. Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: https://gov.wales/charging-school-activities-guidance-governing-bodies-and-head-teachers

https://gov.wales/food-drink-schoolshttps://hwb.gov.wales/news/articles/78c3b85f-a7df-4b0e-bcbd-2e78c73851fbhttps://gov.wales/food-drink-schools


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In receipt of any other benefit or allowance, or entitled to any tax credit under the Tax Credits Act 2002 or element of such a tax credit, as may be prescribed by regulations from time to time for any period wholly or partly comprised in the time spent on the trip. Currently the following are prescribed: - Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act

1999 - Child Tax Credit, providing Working Tax Credit is not also

received and the family's income (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs) does not exceed £16,190 - i.e. children who are eligible to receive school meals.

- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance

PDG Access Get £125 to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for your child. Learners eligible for free school meals can apply for this grant for the 2019/20 school year, if they are:

entering reception class or year 3 in primary school entering year 7 or year 10 in secondary school aged 4, 7, 11 or 14 in special schools, special needs

resource bases or pupil referral units For Year 7 learners the grant is £200, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school.

Applications for this grant should be made to your local authority. Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: pupil-development-grant-access Caseload/Expenditure Awaiting Data

https://gov.wales/pupil-development-grant-access


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Funding for looked-after children is available in every school year.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Wales Scheme

New students may be eligible to receive a £30 weekly EMA award if: they are above the compulsory school age they will be aged 16, 17 or 18 years old on or before the 31

August they normally live in Wales they are studying an eligible full-time academic or vocational

course (the school or college will need to confirm whether the course is eligible)

They must also meet one of the following criteria:

their household income is £20,817 or less there are other young people in their household who are

under 16 and are eligible for Child Benefit, and their household income is £23,077 or less

there are other young people in their household who are

aged 16-20, in full time education and are eligible for Child Benefit, and their household income is £23,077 or less.

An EMA application form and guidance notes can be: downloaded from the Student

Finance Wales (SFW) website Studentfinancewales

requested by calling Student

Finance Wales on 0300 200 4050 requested from the school or

college. Returning students already receiving EMA will be contacted by the Student Finance Wales team regarding their EMA award for the next academic year. Caseload/Expenditure education-maintenance-allowances-ema-awarded-wales

http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/emahttps://gov.wales/education-maintenance-allowances-ema-awarded-waleshttps://gov.wales/education-maintenance-allowances-ema-awarded-wales


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The weekly EMA allowance is awarded based on meeting the attendance, behaviour and progression objectives set out in a learning agreement between the eligible student and their school or college.

Welsh Government Learning Grant (Further Education) (WGLG (FE)) Wales Scheme (formerly Assembly Learning Grant (FE))

New students may be eligible to receive a WGLG (FE) grant of up to £1,500 for full-time and £750 for part-time courses if:

they are aged 19 or over on 1 September

their course is at least 275 hours, at a participating school or college; and leads to a nationally recognised qualification up to Level 3 (the school or college will need to confirm whether the course is eligible)

their household income is £18,370 or less

they normally live in Wales The WGLG (FE) grant is awarded based on meeting the attendance and progression objectives set out in a learning grant agreement between the eligible student and their school or college.

The WGLG (FE) application form and guidance notes can be: • downloaded from the Student Finance Wales website studentfinancewales • requested by calling Student Finance Wales on 0300 200 4050 • requested from the school or college. Returning students already receiving WGLG (FE) will be contacted by the Student Finance Wales team regarding their grant for the next academic year. Caseload/Expenditure welsh-government-learning-grants-further-education-september-2018-august-2019

http://www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/wglgfehttps://gov.wales/welsh-government-learning-grants-further-education-september-2018-august-2019https://gov.wales/welsh-government-learning-grants-further-education-september-2018-august-2019https://gov.wales/welsh-government-learning-grants-further-education-september-2018-august-2019


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ENERGY

Nest You may be eligible to apply for home energy improvements under the scheme if: you own or privately rent your home; and you live in a home that is not energy efficient (E, F or G

rated); and you or someone who lives with you receives one of the

following means tested benefit:

- Child Tax Credit: where the household money coming in is below £16,105 a year

- Council Tax Reduction Scheme (reductions and

discounts do not qualify on their own) - Housing benefit - Income-based jobseeker’s allowance - Income-related employment and support allowance - Income support - Pension Credit - savings and guarantee - Universal Credit

To apply:

Contact 0808 808 2244 (free of charge from a mobile or landline)

Use the contact us section on the Nest website: Nest

Full eligibility criteria and defined income thresholds can be found at Nest Eligibility.

http://nestwales.org.uk/Hard-to-heat-homehttps://nest.gov.wales/en/https://nest.gov.wales/en/eligibility/


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- Working Tax Credit: where the household money coming in is below £16,105 a year

OR Someone living in the home must:

- Be living with a chronic respiratory, circulatory or mental health condition. These include:

o Respiratory disease (respiratory infections, broncho-constriction in asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

o Circulatory disease (including cardio-vascular disease, strokes and heart attacks)

o Mental health issues (including depression, anxiety, psychosis and bipolar disorders, dementia, intellectual and development disorders)

- Be living on a low income below the defined thresholds.

Affordable Warmth

The Affordable Warmth scheme is a UK Government scheme managed by Ofgem - a link to their website is attached below: affordable-warmth-group-guidance-note

In Wales, the Welsh Government is

committed to improving the energy

efficiency of homes across Wales

through the Warm Homes

Programme. Support is delivered

primarily through NEST and Arbed –

which supports area, based energy

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/eco2-affordable-warmth-group-guidance-note


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efficiency schemes in deprived

communities.

Arbed is a Welsh Government project improving the energy efficiency of homes within an area to reduce energy bills and to make homes warm and comfortable.

As Arbed is an area-based scheme, householders cannot apply directly for support.

Arbed funds projects submitted by local authorities in some of the most deprived areas of Wales. Measures provided under the scheme may include:

improving insulation in existing properties

replacing inefficient boilers

switching homes to more affordable or renewable fuel types

installing energy efficient systems.

Arbed also creates local opportunities for energy efficiency businesses, and local jobs.


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Please e-mail at the address below for any queries on the Arbed Programme: [email protected].

FINANCIAL INCLUSION

Discretionary Assistance Fund The purpose of the fund is to offer payments or in kind support to provide urgent assistance to people where there is an identified need to safeguard health and wellbeing. The fund can also be accessed to enable or maintain independent living.

These payments are available to people who have no other means of meeting the immediate cost of living and are not intended to meet the cost of ongoing expenses.

Within the scheme there are two types of non-repayable grant support:

Emergency Assistance Payments (EAP) to provide assistance in an emergency or when there is an immediate threat to health or wellbeing. Anyone over the age of 16 can be considered eligible for these payments to help meet expenses due to an emergency or because of a disaster.

Individual Assistance Payments (IAP) to meet an urgent identified need that enables or supports vulnerable citizens to establish themselves or remain living independently in the community. To be eligible applicants must be:

Further information, including details of how to apply, can be found on the Welsh Government website:

discretionary-assistance-fund-daf

mailto:[email protected]://gov.wales/discretionary-assistance-fund-daf


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- entitled to and be in receipt of income related welfare benefits. Income related welfare benefits refer to: Income Support; income-based Job Seeker's Allowance; income-related Employment and Support Allowance; Universal Credit, Pension Credit; or

- due to leave an institution or care home within 6 weeks, that they are likely to be entitled to receive income related welfare benefits on leaving.

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES

NHS Dental Treatment You can get free NHS dental treatment if when the treatment starts you: Are aged under 18; Are aged 18 and in full time education; Are pregnant or have had a baby within the 12 month before

treatment starts; Are an NHS in-patient and the treatment is carried out by

the hospital dentist; Are an NHS Hospital Dental Service out-patient (There may

be a charge for dentures and bridges) Or when the treatment starts or when the charge is made you: Receive or are included in an award of someone receiving:

Further information can be found on: get-help-cost-nhs-dental-treatment Find out whether you are entitled to help with NHS costs via the Low Income Scheme and how to get a certificate. low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costs Use this service to check what help you could get and how to apply: get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs

https://gov.wales/get-help-cost-nhs-dental-treatmenthttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs


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- Income support, or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance,

- Universal Credit and meet the criteria, - Income Related Employment & Support Allowance or

Pension Credit guarantee credit

are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificate;

are named on a valid HC2W certificate. You can also get free dental examinations if you are:

aged under 25 on the day you are examined in Wales; or aged 60 or over on the day you are examined in Wales. Any subsequent treatment as a result of the free examination carries the appropriate charge.

NHS Optical Vouchers: Free Sight Tests

You can get free sight tests if you:

Are under 16; Are in full-time education and aged 16, 17 or 18; Are aged 60 or over; Are a diagnosed glaucoma patient;

Further information can be found on: get-help-nhs-eye-care-costs Find out whether you are entitled to help with NHS costs via the Low Income Scheme and how to get a certificate.

https://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-eye-care-costs


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Are aged 40 or over and are the parent, brother, sister, son

or daughter of a diagnosed glaucoma patient, or Have been advised by an ophthalmologist that you are at

risk of glaucoma; Have been diagnosed as diabetic; Are registered blind or partially sighted; Need complex lenses; Are someone whose sight test is carried out through the

hospital eye department as part of the management of your eye condition;

Get or are included in an award of someone getting: - Income support, or Income-based Jobseeker's

Allowance, - Universal Credit, - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or

Pension Credit Guarantee Credit Are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit

exemption certificate; Are named on a valid HC2W certificate.

low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costs Use this service to check what help you could get and how to apply: get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs

https://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs


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NHS Optical Vouchers: Help towards the Cost of Glasses or Contact Lenses

You can get help towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses if you:

Are under 16; Are in full-time education and aged 16, 17 or 18;

Need complex lenses

Get or are included in an award of someone getting: - Income support, or Income-based Jobseeker's

Allowance, - Universal Credit, - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or

Pension Credit Guarantee Credit Are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit

exemption certificate;

Are named on a valid HC2W certificate. Note: If your glasses or contact lenses cost more than your voucher value, you will have to pay the difference.

Further information can be found on: get-help-nhs-eye-care-costs Find out whether you are entitled to help with NHS costs via the Low Income Scheme and how to get a certificate: low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costs Use this service to check what help you could get and how to apply: get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs

NHS Patient Travel Costs You can get help with the necessary travel costs to receive NHS treatment under the care of a consultant, if you:

Further information can be found on:

https://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-eye-care-costshttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs


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Are included in the assessment of someone getting:

- Income Support, - Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, - Universal Credit (Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living

Allowance does not count as they are not income related),

- Income related Employment and Support Allowance, - Pension Credit Guarantee Credit

Are entitled to, or named on, a valid NHS tax credit

exemption certificate. Are named on a valid HC2W certificate (includes travel by

your dependent children). Are a war pensioner and the treatment is for your accepted

disablement.

low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costs Use this service to check what help you could get and how to apply: get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs

Free NHS Prescriptions You can get free NHS prescriptions dispensed in Wales if at the time the prescription is dispensed:

You have a Welsh prescription form;

You have an equivalent English (FP10) prescription form

and a valid entitlement card;

Further information can be found on: free-prescriptions Use this service to check what help you could get and how to apply: get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs

https://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/low-income-scheme-help-nhs-health-costshttps://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-healthcare-costshttps://gov.wales/free-prescriptions-0https://gov.wales/get-help-nhs-healthcare-costs


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You have an equivalent prescription form (e.g. English/Scottish) and are in one of the exemption categories listed on the reverse.

You are not normally resident in Wales but in possession of

a valid medical exemption certificate for the current list of prescribed medical conditions.

Welsh residents who have a valid Medical Exemption Certificate for a specified medical condition will not have to pay for their prescription irrespective of where in the UK they are issued or dispensed. Also supplied free:

Medication administered at a hospital or walk-in centre;

Prescribed contraceptives, medication personally

administered by a GP;

Medication supplied by a hospital for the treatment of a sexually transmissible infection (STI).

Healthy Start You qualify for Healthy Start if you’re at least 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four years old and you or your family get:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Further information can be found at: healthystart

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/


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Child Tax Credit with a family income of £16,190 or less per year Pension Credit; or

Universal Credit with no earned income or total earned income of £408 or less per month for the family. (To find this refer to your Universal Credit award notice in the section “your take home pay for this month”.)

You also qualify if you are under 18 and pregnant, even if you don’t get any of the above benefits or tax credits.

HOUSING

Council Tax Reduction Scheme Eligible applicants were automatically transferred from Council Tax Benefit onto Council Tax Reduction Schemes in April 2013. As with CTB, households with entitlement to means-tested out-of-work benefits (Employment Support Allowance, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Pension Credit and Pension Credit Guarantee continue to qualify automatically for the maximum entitlement to a reduction (currently 100% less any deductions for non-dependants). For other households, entitlement is calculated through a means-test which mirrors the approach previously used to calculate entitlement to CTB. With the introduction of Universal Credit, CTRS is no longer automatic in the case of new claims. A separate application for CTRS is needed after entitlement to UC is given.

Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: council-tax-discounts-and-reduction Caseload/Expenditure council-tax-reduction-scheme-annual-reports

The Residential Property Tribunal and The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

You may be entitled to a waiver of any application fees if you are in receipt of:

Further information, including forms to apply for a waiver of fees, can be

https://gov.wales/council-tax-discounts-and-reductionhttps://gov.wales/council-tax-reduction-scheme-annual-reportshttps://gov.wales/council-tax-reduction-scheme-annual-reports


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Universal Credit Income Support

Housing Benefit

Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance

Income related Employment and Support Allowance

Working Tax Credit where:

- either that credit includes a disability element or severe disability element (or both) or it is combined with child tax credit and

- the gross annual income used to calculate the Working Tax Credit is £16,190 or less for a Residential Property Tribunal or £14,213 or less for a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

A Guarantee Credit under the State Pensions Credit Act

2002

A current certificate issued under the Funding Code (legal aid) which is in respect of the proceedings before the Tribunal, the whole or part of which have been transferred from the County Court for determination by a Tribunal.

found on the Residential Property Tribunal Wales website: Residential Property Tribunals Website

TRANSPORT

http://rpt.wales.gov.uk/http://rpt.wales.gov.uk/


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Blue Badge Scheme You will be automatically eligible for a blue badge if you can provide a recent award letter from Department of Work

and Pensions (DWP) showing that you have been awarded Personal Independence Payment [PIP] for planning and following a journey [12 points] OR standard rate PIP for moving around [8 points or more].

can provide a recent award letter from DWP showing that you have been awarded the enhanced rate Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for planning and following a journey (12 points) OR standard rate PIP for moving around (8 points or more)

can provide a recent award letter from DWP showing that

you have been awarded the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance

can provide an award letter from the Service Personnel and

Veterans Agency to show you receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement (WPMS) or that you receive a guaranteed payment under tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and have been certified as having a permanent and substantial disability which causes an inability to walk or very considerable difficulty in walking.

Have a Certificate of Vision Impairment signed by your Consultant Ophthalmologist

You may be eligible for a blue badge subject to further assessment by your Local Authority if you:

You can apply for a Blue Badge from your Local Authority or you can apply online at the Direct.Gov website. Bluebadgescheme Information on Blue Badge eligibility in Wales

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/MotoringAndTransport/Bluebadgescheme/index.htmhttps://gov.wales/blue-badges-eligibilityhttps://gov.wales/blue-badges-eligibility


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are able to show that you have a permanent and substantial disability which means you are unable to walk or have considerable difficulty walking

you have a severe disability in both upper limbs, regularly

drive a car but have difficulty or cannot use parking meters and similar equipment

you have a child under the age of three who needs to be

accompanied always by bulky medical equipment or needs to have access to a motor vehicle in case they need emergency medical treatment.

Are able to show that as a result of a ‘mental disorder’

(cognitive impairment that you are unable to follow the route of a familiar journey without the assistance of another person).

Concessionary Bus Travel Anyone aged 60 or over, disabled people, seriously injured service veterans, and seriously injured service personnel of all ages, who are resident in Wales, are able to travel free on registered local bus services in Wales: subject to assessment by your Local Authority. Under the scheme legislation a disabled person” means a person who—

(a) is blind or partially sighted,

(b) is profoundly or severely deaf,

Further information can be found on the Welsh Government website: public-transport

https://gov.wales/public-transport


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(c) is without speech,

(d) has a disability, or has suffered an injury, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his ability to walk,

(e) does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms,

(f) has a learning disability, that is, a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning, or

(g) would, if he applied for the grant of a licence to drive a motor vehicle under Part III of the M1Road Traffic Act 1988, have his application refused pursuant to section 92 of that Act (physical fitness) otherwise than on the ground of persistent misuse of drugs or alcohol,

Then for seriously injured service veterans, and seriously injured service personnel: an award under Tariffs 1-8 of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)

Discounted Young Persons Bus Travel (Mytravelpass)

Anyone aged 16-21 years old, who are resident or studying full-time in Wales are able to save approximately 30% on registered local bus services in Wales (excludes National Bus and Megabus services).

Further information and application forms can be found at: mytravelpass
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/38/section/146#commentary-c14881461https://mytravelpass.gov.wales/en/

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