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This information applies to England, Wales, and Scotland
Help for people on a low income
This information is about help that you may be able to get towards health, education and legal costs if you are on a low income. You may also be able to get benefit to help with your living costs, your rent or other housing costs and your Council Tax.
For more information about the other benefits that you can claim, see Help for people on a low income – Income Support.
If you are on a low income, you may be able to get help with health costs, legal costs, court fees and school meals. This help may mean that the cost is reduced or you do not have to pay at all. Because you do not receive any money directly, this help is known as 'benefit in kind’.
If you are on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance you will usually be able to get this kind of help without having to apply. If you are on a low income but not receiving one of these benefits, you may still qualify for some of this help.
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Help with health costs
Healthy start vouchers
Some people on low incomes can get healthy start vouchers which can be exchanged for free milk, fruit or vegetables.
You can get healthy start vouchers if you are at least ten weeks pregnant and you're getting:
- Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Child Tax Credit but are not getting Working Tax Credit and your income is low enough
- Working Tax Credit for an extra four weeks after stopping working or reducing your working hours to fewer than 16 per week.
If you are a member of the family of someone who is on these benefits, and you are pregnant you can also get healthy start vouchers. A member of the family in this case is an opposite sex partner, same-sex partner or dependent child of the person who is getting one of these benefits.
You can also get healthy start vouchers if you're under 18 and pregnant, regardless of how much income you or your family have coming in.
Any of your children who are under four are also entitled to healthy start vouchers if you're getting:
- Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Child Tax Credit, if your income is low enough, and you are not able to get Working Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit for an extra four weeks after stopping working or reducing your working hours to fewer than 16 per week.
If your child is under one, you can get additional vouchers.
If you are an asylum seeker getting government asylum support, you cannot get healthy start vouchers, but if you are pregnant or have a child under three, you will get an extra payment for milk or infant formula.
To claim healthy start vouchers, you should fill in a claim form and have it approved by a health professional – for example, a midwife. The form is in the leaflet Healthy Start, which you can get from your midwife or doctor or from the Healthy Start website at www.healthystart.nhs.uk.
If you think you are entitled to healthy start vouchers and don’t receive them, or you have any other problems with healthy start vouchers, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
Free vitamins
Some people on low incomes are entitled to free vitamins. You can get free vitamins if you are at least ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four, and you are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or you are on Child Tax Credit (and not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and your income is low enough. You can get free vitamins from child health and maternity clinics.
Other help with health costs
Other kinds of help with NHS health costs which you may be able to get if you are on a low income include:-
- free prescriptions
- free dental treatment and check-ups
- free eyesight tests
- vouchers for glasses or contact lenses (optical vouchers)
- travel costs to hospital.
For more information about help with health costs, see Help with health costs.
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Help with education costs
Free school meals
If you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, your children will get a free midday meal while they are at school and below the age of 19. This will also apply to you if you get Child Tax Credit, you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and you have income below a certain amount, or if you get the guarantee part of Pension Credit. If you are an asylum seeker getting financial support, you are also entitled to free school meals for your children.
If you are aged 16 to 18, you are still at school and you get Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance in your own right, you will get free school meals.
School clothing grants
Some local education authorities will give help with the cost of school clothing for pupils whose families are on a low income. Applications should be made to the local Education Authority.
Education Maintenance Allowance
16 year old students staying on at school or college are entitled to a means tested Educational Maintenance Allowance.
In England, for more information on the Education Maintenance Allowance, see Financial help for students aged 16-19.
In Wales, for more information about Education Maintenance Allowances, see the website of Student Finance Wales at www.studentfinancewales.co.uk.
For more information about Education Maintenance Allowances in Scotland, see Help with the costs of education for school pupils.
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Help with legal costs
If you are on a low income and you need advice from a solicitor, you may qualify for legal aid under Legal Help. This is called legal advice and assistance in Scotland and the green form scheme in Northern Ireland.
For more information about Legal Help in England and Wales, see Help with legal costs.
For more information on the green form scheme in Northern Ireland, see Help with legal costs.
For more information about legal advice and assistanc ein Scotland, see Help with legal costs.
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