School and college transport assistance

For the academic year 2024/25 a low income household for education transport purposes is one where the child is registered for Free School Meals or who has a parent living with them who 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 you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,955, 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 £19,995 - 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)

A secondary school or sixth form aged pupil is considered as part of a low income family if an adult with whom they are resident is in receipt of any of the above.

Pupils who receive any of the qualifying benefits listed above in their own right are also considered as fulfilling the low income criteria.

Where a pupil lives at two addresses for equal amounts of time, the address where they are primarily resident is taken as the one to which the Child Benefit for that pupil is paid.

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 £7,955 to evidence you are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit.