Changes to eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants

We welcome the opportunity to comment on the proposed net earnings threshold that will give Universal Credit claimants access to free school meals and uniform grants in Northern Ireland. Passported benefits, particularly free school meals, are very important to the those who receive them and have an impact on work incentives. Our response raises a number of concerns about the use of an annual net earnings threshold as compared to a monthly assessed benefit and highlights the potential for winners and losers to be created as compared to the current tax credits system.