Annexes
Annexe 1	Terms of Reference

Social Security Advisory Committee Advisory Report on Passported Benefits

Purpose

The purpose of the advisory report is to analyse the range of passported benefits (“benefits”) which currently exist in order to:

•	classify the target audience(s) for those benefits
•	identify the needs which those benefits address, and the wider policy objectives served by them now and in the future
•	identify and analyse the mechanisms that are currently employed to determine entitlement
•	consider the potential impact of changes in eligibility rules

Objectives

The objective is to use this analysis in order to provide advice as to how such benefits should be considered in the future on the introduction of Universal Credit.

In particular, the review will seek to:

•	collect and review the evidence on benefits (and note information gaps), including
o	which benefits are particularly valued by recipients and the reasons for that valuation
o	the extent to which such benefits appear to influence employment decisions
o	possible customer behaviour if entitlement to benefits is withdrawn
•	assess the level of complexity surrounding these benefits and consider whether such complexity is a barrier to understanding and take-up
•	examine current variations in provision, noting where possible the implications for all agents that administer benefits throughout GB and the responsibilities of Devolved Administrations (Scotland and Wales)
•	taking account of the needs addressed and the wider policy objectives behind the provision of benefits, consider how a coherent approach might be developed to the provision of (different categories of) benefits for those entitled to Universal Credit, including withdrawing support gradually in line with the taper rate in order to maintain work incentives

•	consider whether there are other simpler alternative options that might mitigate any disincentives to work
•	identify ways in which such benefits might be developed in future, ensuring the replacement system is coherent, simple and removes disincentives to work

Recommendations

The recommendations should take account of the UK Government’s view that any changes should not involve a net increase in public expenditure, including administrative costs, and/or increase complexity, and should consider ways to reduce costs. 

The recommendations should take account of the fact that expenditure on passported benefits in Scotland is solely a matter for Scottish Ministers. 

Where possible, the report will include broad cost implications for other government departments and Devolved Administrations (Scotland and Wales).

The report will be produced by the Social Security Advisory Committee. An initial scoping/feasibility study will be undertaken and the terms of reference refined as necessary.

The Committee will provide a non-binding interim report in September. It will take further evidence and produce a final report recommending options no later than January 2012.

Annexe 2	Main Passported Benefits Included in the Review

Abbreviations used: DWP – Department for Work and Pensions; DfE – Department for Education; DH – Department of Health; MoJ – Ministry of Justice; NOMS – National Offender Management Service

England	
Benefits-in-kind	Cash benefits	Discounts on charges or fees	
Responsibility of Government Departments	
Benefits from the Pupil Premium (DfE)	Cold Weather Payments (DWP)	Jobcentre Plus travel discount card (DWP)	
Free Early Education for disadvantaged 2 year olds (DfE)	Funeral Payments (DWP)
	Optical voucher (DH)	
Free School Meals and free school milk (DfE)	Help with healthcare travel costs (DH)		
Health costs i.e. free prescriptions/free eye test/dental care/wigs and fabric supports (DH)	Help with prison visiting costs (MoJ – NOMS)		
Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins (DH)	Sure Start Maternity Grant (DWP)		
Legal Aid (MoJ)			
Remission from court fees (MoJ)			
Responsibility of local authorities	
Help with the costs of residential school visits
	School clothing grant (cash/cheque)	Bus and Tram Discount Scheme – London (Transport for London)
Leisure discounts	
Leisure services, e.g. free swimming			
School clothing grant (vouchers)			
School transport			
Responsibility of other bodies	
Leisure services	Educational grants, e.g. Adult Discretionary Learner Support Funds, 16-19 Bursary	Leisure discounts
	
		BT Basic (BT)	
		Warm Home Discount	
		Voluntary Social
Tariffs from utility companies	
		WaterSure	

Scotland	
Benefits-in-kind	Cash benefits	Discounts on charges or fees	
Responsibility of Government Departments	
Free School Meals (Scottish Government)	Cold Weather Payments (DWP)	Optical vouchers (Scottish Government)	
NHS prescriptions (Scottish Government)	Funeral Payments (DWP)
	Education Maintenance Allowance (Scottish Government)	
NHS dentistry exemptions (Scottish Government)	None repayment of children’s welfare loans (Scottish Government)	Energy Assistance Package Stage 3 (Scottish Government)	
Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins (Scottish Government/DH)	Help with prison visiting costs 		
Legal Aid (Scottish Government)	Sure Start Maternity Grant (DWP)		
Exemption from court fees (Scottish Government)	NHS patient travel costs (Scottish Government)		
Responsibility of local authorities	
Leisure services/discount			
School clothing grant			
Responsibility of other bodies	
	Educational grants	Warm Home Discount	
		BT Basic	

Wales	
Benefits-in-kind	Cash benefits	Discounts on charges or fees	
Responsibility of Government Departments	
Free School Meals and free school milk (DfE/Welsh Government)	Cold Weather Payments (DWP)	Jobcentre Plus travel discount card (DWP)	
School Uniform Grant (DfE/Welsh Government)	Funeral Payments (DWP)	Optical voucher (DH)	
Health costs i.e. free eye test/dental care (DH)	Help with healthcare travel costs (DH)		
Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins (DH)	Help with prison visiting costs (MoJ – NOMS)		
Remission from court fees (MoJ)	Sure Start Maternity Grant (DWP)		
Legal Aid (MoJ)	School Uniform Grant (DfE/Welsh Government)		
Responsibility of local authorities	
Exemption from paying the cost of board and lodging on residential trips	Discretionary school clothing grant	Leisure discounts	
Leisure services, e.g. free swimming			
Responsibility of other bodies	
		BT Basic	
		The Nest Scheme (home energy efficiency)	
		Welsh Water Assist	

Northern Ireland	
Benefits-in-kind	Cash benefits	Discounts on charges or fees	
Responsibility of Government Departments	
Free School Meals (DoE)
	School Clothing Allowance (DoE)
	Exemptions and remissions of court fees (MoJ)	
Health costs i.e. free eye test/dental care (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety)	Help with prison visiting costs (MoJ)	Optical vouchers (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety)	
Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety)	Cold Weather Payments (DWP)		
Hospital Travel Costs Scheme	Funeral Payments (DWP)		
Legal Aid (MoJ)	Sure Start Maternity Grant (DWP)		
Warm Homes Scheme (Department for Social Development)			
Responsibility of local authorities and Health and Social Care Trusts	
			
Board and lodging on residential school trips		Limited help with the cost of leisure facilities/ discounts	
Responsibility of other bodies	
	Educational grants	BT Basic	

Annexe 3	Passported Benefits: Eligibility Criteria

Abbreviations used: DWP – Department for Work and Pensions; DfE – Department for Education; DH – Department of Health; MoJ – Ministry of Justice; NOMS – National Offender Management Service

England

 	Passported Benefit	Eligibility	
Benefit in kind 	Free School Meals and Free School Milk (DfE)	Registered pupils whose parents/guardians are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (providing they are not entitled to receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HMRC) that does not exceed £16,190)
•	Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Schools and local authorities are not required to provide milk but where they choose to do so it must be provided free of charge to those pupils eligible for free school meals	
Benefit in kind 	Pupil Premium (DfE)	Based on FSM eligibility. Registered pupils whose parents/guardians are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (providing they are not entitled to receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HMRC) that does not exceed £16,190)
•	Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
There are also additional strands of the pupil premium for looked after children and service children	
Benefit in kind	Free school travel for pupils from low income families (DfE/LAs)	Pupils who are in receipt of free school meals or whose parents/guardians are in receipt of maximum Working Tax Credit.
Additional criteria for entitlement are:
•	eligible pupils aged 8 but under 11 years of age, who live more than 2 miles from their nearest school 
•	 eligible pupils 11 years of age and older who live more than 2 miles but under 6 miles from their nearest suitable school (as long as there are not 3 or more suitable qualifying schools nearer to the child’s home) 
•	those attending their nearest school preferred on the grounds of religion or belief that is over 2 miles but not more than 15 miles from their home	
Benefit in kind	Free early education for disadvantaged 2 year olds (to commence from Sept 2013) (DfE)	From September 2013, it is intended that eligibility for free early education for 2 year olds will mirror FSM eligibility. Children (from the term after their second birthday) whose parents/guardians are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	
Child Tax Credit (providing you don’t receive Working Tax Credit and earn less than £16,190)
•	
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999	
Benefit in kind	Help with residential school visits
(LAs) 	Pupils whose parents are receiving: 
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (providing you don’t receive Working Tax Credit and earn less than £16,190)
•	income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Benefit in kind	Adult Discretionary Learner Support Funds (BIS)	Schools and colleges set their own criteria and manage their own procedures	
Benefit in kind or cash benefit	School clothing grant (LAs)	Discretionary - offered by some local authorities. Eligibility varies depending on the local authority but often includes receipt of: 
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (providing you don’t receive Working Tax Credit and earn less than £16,190)
•	income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Cash benefit	16-19 Bursary Fund (BIS)	A group categorised as vulnerable, which includes 16-19 year olds receiving:
•	Income Support 
•	Employment and Support Allowance and DLA	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: free prescriptions (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension 
Credit for partners under 60
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: wigs and fabric support (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners

People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: dental treatment (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	
Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	
Child Tax Credit on its own.	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: optical treatment – sight tests (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for partners under 60

People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Discount	Health costs: optical treatment – optical vouchers (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	
Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners

People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	
Child Tax Credit on its own	
Cash benefit	Health costs: travel costs (DH)	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner and dependent children) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners and any dependent children

People (and their partner and dependent children) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins (DH)	Healthy Start supports pregnant women, new mothers, and children under four years old in families receiving:

•	Income Support
•	
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit (except Working Tax Credit run on) and an annual family income of £16,190 or below.	
Benefit in kind	Remission from HMCTS Fees (MoJ)	In the civil and family courts an individual in receipt of any of the following benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit but not also receiving Child Tax Credit
In addition to those listed above, the Tribunals prescribe the following benefits:
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit
•	Jobseeker’s (NI) Order 1995
•	State Pension Credit Act (NI) 2002
•	Working Tax Credit with a GAI X amount (£14,213 – Leasehold Valuation
£16,190 – Residential Property
£17,474 – Gambling Appeals
£18,008 – Gender Recognition Panel) or less providing Child Tax Credit or a disability or severe disability element is also received.
•	Working Tax Credit provided Child Tax Credit or a disability or severe disability element is also received	
Benefit in kind	Legal Aid (MoJ)	Those in receipt of:

•	Income Support 
•	
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit	
Cash benefit	Help with prison visiting costs (NOMS)	Those in receipt of:

•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit
•	the disability element in Working Tax Credit
•	Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit
[Gross annual household income must not exceed the Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit amount (£17,474)]
•	Health Certificate	
Cash benefit	Sure Start Maternity Grant (DWP)	The qualifying benefits are:
•	
Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award	
Cash benefit	Cold Weather Payments (DWP)	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
Those in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance in the assessment phase, Income Support, and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance must have either a pensioner or disability premium, a disabled child premium, Child Tax Credit with a disability element, or a child under 5	
Cash benefit	Funeral Payments (DWP)	The qualifying benefits are: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit	
Discount	BT Basic 	The qualifying benefits are: 

•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Not everyone on these benefits will be able to get BT Basic (other conditions apply)
	
Discount	WaterSure (DEFRA)	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Council Tax Benefit 
•	Housing Benefit 
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit 
•	Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only) 
•	income-related Employment and Support Allowance
In addition, you need to either:
•	be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property 
•	have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water 
Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis	
Discount	Warm Home Discount (DECC)	Eligibility is set by the individual energy companies.

For example receipt of one of the following means tested eligible benefits is used by British Gas*:

•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Income Support

* Eligibility requires the household to include a child aged 5 years or under or for the account holder to be in receipt of Child Tax Credit, Disability Premium, or Pensioner Premium	
Benefit in kind	Energy Company Obligation - Affordable Warmth Target and Carbon Emissions reductions (DECC)	Proposal: those eligible for Cold Weather Payments or receiving Child Tax Credit with an income less than £16,190. Focus on providing support to low income households, identified by entitlement to certain means tested benefits and tax credits, who are also vulnerable to detrimental health impacts 
from living in cold homes	
Discount	Voluntary Social Tariffs from utility companies	Varies depending on scheme - eligibility set by individual companies	
Discount 	Leisure services, e.g. free swimming	Varies between local authorities but usually requires the receipt of one of the following:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Discount	Bus and Tram Discount Scheme (TfL)	Available to help Londoners aged 18-60 receiving:
•	Income Support
•	Employment and Support Allowance
•	Jobseeker's Allowance for a minimum of 13 weeks	
Discount	Jobcentre Plus discount travel card (DWP)	Reduced rail fares in England and Wales for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimants over 6 months unemployed who have not been referred to the Work Programme:
•	JSA 18 to 24 year old claimants from 6 to 9 months unemployed 
•	JSA 25 year old and over from 6 to 12 months unemployed 
•	IB/ESA/IS claimants actively engaged with an adviser in returning to employment 	
Cash benefit	Pest Control Services (LAs)	Varies between local authorities but usually requires the receipt of one of the following:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	

Scotland

 	Passported Benefit	Eligibility	
Benefit in kind	Free School Meals	Pupils and pupils whose parents are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit, but not Working Tax Credit, with an income less than £15,860
•	Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, with an income less than £6420
•	Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999	
Cash benefit/ Voucher	School Clothing Grant	This varies by Local Authority. The design of the provision/ assistance, the criteria and the value are not prescribed in legislation and are a matter for local authorities to make decisions on. The criteria set may be fully or partly in line with eligibility for FSMs, however, it may also link to other references within the existing welfare system	
Benefit in kind	Individual Learning Accounts	Available to all Scottish Residents with an income of £22,000 or less or who are on benefits	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: dental treatment	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible: 
•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Discount	Health costs: optical treatment – optical vouchers	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	
Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Cash benefit	Health costs: travel costs	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner and dependent children) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners and any dependent children

People (and their partner and dependent children) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins	Healthy Start supports pregnant women, new mothers, and children under four years old in families receiving:
•	Income Support
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit (except Working Tax Credit run on) and an annual family income of £16,190 or below	
Benefit in kind	Legal Aid	Legal aid is available to a person where, on application, the Scottish Legal Aid Board is satisfied that they have probable cause, and it is reasonable in the particular circumstances of the case that they should receive legal aid.
Applicants receiving:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
are financially passported, i.e. they qualify financially for civil legal aid with no contribution	
Benefit in kind	Exemption from Court Fees	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit (including Child Tax Credit) and gross annual income is £16,642 or less, Working Tax Credit with a disability/severe disability element and gross annual income is £16,642 or less	
Cash benefit	Help with prison visiting costs 	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Working Tax credit
•	Child Tax Credit 
•	the disability element in Working Tax Credit
•	Working Tax Credit with Child Tax Credit
•	Gross annual household income must not exceed the Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit amount (£17,474)
•	Health Certificate	
Cash benefit	Sure Start Maternity Grant	The qualifying benefits are:
•	
Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award	
Cash benefit	Cold Weather Payments	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
Those in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance in the assessment phase, Income Support, and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance must have either a pensioner or disability premium, a disabled child premium, Child Tax Credit with a disability element, or a child under 5	
Cash benefit	Funeral Payments	The qualifying benefits are: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit	
Discount	BT Basic	The qualifying benefits are: 

•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Not everyone on these benefits will be able to get BT Basic (other conditions apply)
	
Discount	Warm Home Discount	Eligibility is set by the individual energy companies	
Discount	Leisure services (Local Authorities)	This varies by local authority. For example:
Facilities can be used at up to 50% of the normal charge for those with a Concession Card. A person will qualify for a Concession Card if they are in receipt of one of the following:
•	Jobseeker’s Allowance
•	Income Support
•	Tax Credits (in some cases)
•	Long Term incapacity Benefit
•	Employment and Support Allowance	
Benefit in kind	Children's welfare loans	Persons in receipt of:
•	Income support
•	Working tax credit
•	Jobseeker’s Allowance	

Wales

 	Passported Benefit	Eligibility	
Benefit in kind 	FSM and free school milk	Registered pupils whose parents/guardians are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (providing you don’t receive Working Tax Credit and earn less than £16,190)
•	Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Schools and local authorities are not required to provide milk but where they chose to do so it must be provided free of charge to those pupils eligible for free school meals	
Benefit in kind or cash benefit	All Wales School Uniform Grant	Available to:
•	pupils in Year 7 of maintained schools in Wales who are eligible for free school meals
•	pupils in special schools, special needs resource bases and pupil referral units in Wales who are aged 11 at the start of the school year and who are eligible for free school meals	
Benefit in kind or cash benefit	Discretionary school clothing grant	The eligibility criteria and amount of support varies depending on the LA but often includes receipt of :
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit, providing Working Tax Credit is not received and the family's income does not exceed £16,190 (for 2011/12)
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Benefit in kind 	Exemption from paying the cost of board and lodging on residential trips in schools 	•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

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. Currently the following are prescribed:
•	Child Tax Credit, providing Working Tax Credit is not also received and the family’s income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) does not exceed £16,190 (for 2011/12) i.e. children who are eligible to receive free school meals.
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Cash benefit	Health costs: travel costs 	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner and dependent children) is eligible: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners and any dependent children

People (and their partner and dependent children) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: dental treatment	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	
Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own
	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: optical treatment – sight tests	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for partners under 60

People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind 	Health costs: optical treatment – optical vouchers	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own
	
Benefit in kind	Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins	Healthy Start supports pregnant women, new mothers, and children under four years old in families receiving:
•	Income Support,
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit (except Working Tax Credit run on) and an annual family income of £16,190 or below.	
Benefit in kind 	Legal Aid	Those in receipt of:
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 	
Benefit in kind	Remission from HMCTS fees	In the civil and family courts an individual in receipt of any of the following benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit but not also receiving Child Tax Credit

In addition to those listed above, the Tribunals prescribe the following benefits:
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit
•	Jobseeker's (NI) Order 1995
•	State Pension Credit Act (NI) 2002
•	Working Tax Credit with a GAI X amount
(£14,213 – Leasehold Valuation
£16,190 – Residential Property
£17,474 – Gambling Appeals
£18,008 – Gender Recognition Panel) or less providing Child Tax Credit or a disability or severe disability element is also received
•	Working Tax Credit provided Child Tax Credit or a disability or severe disability element is also received	
Cash benefit	Help with prison visits 	To qualify for assistance under the scheme you must be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Employment and Support Allowance 
•	income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Tax Credits	
Cash benefit	Cold Weather Payments 	The qualifying benefits are: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

Those in receipt of ESA(IR) in the assessment phase, IS, JSA(IB) must have either a pensioner or disability premium, a disabled child premium, CTC with a disability element, or a child under 5	
Cash benefit	Funeral Payments 	The qualifying benefits are: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit	
Cash benefit	Sure Start Maternity Grant	The qualifying benefits are:
•	
Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award	
Discount	BT Basic 	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Not everyone on these benefits will be able to get BT Basic (other conditions apply)	
Discount	Welsh Water Assist	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 
•	Working Tax Credit 
•	Child Tax Credit (except families in receipt of the family element only) 
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
In addition, you need to either:
•	be responsible for three or more children under the age of 19 and in full-time education living in the property
•	have (or someone living in the property must have) a medical condition which requires significant additional use of water. Examples of medical conditions include weeping skin diseases (such as psoriasis), Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.	
Discount	The Nest programme (home energy efficiency grants in Wales)	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support 
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit income below £15,860
•	Working Tax Credit income below £15,860	
Cash benefit	Disabled Facilities Grants 	Income based benefits	
Cash benefit	Non Residential Care	Income based benefits	

Northern Ireland

 	Passported Benefit	Eligibility	
Benefit in kind	Free School Meals	A pupil is entitled to free school meals where the household is in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit and is ineligible for Working Tax Credit because he/she works less than 16 hours per week; and has an annual taxable income not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department (currently £16,190)
•	Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment finishes or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week
•	Working Tax Credit and has an annual taxable income not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department (currently £16,190) and the pupil attends a nursery or primary school
•	Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Or where:
•	the pupil has a statement of special educational needs and is designated to require a special diet
•	the pupil is a boarder at a special school
•	the pupil presents at school hungry and the school determines that meals should be provided on humanitarian grounds.	
Benefit in kind	Board and lodging on residential school trips	Pupils whose parents are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit	
Benefit in kind	Pre-school Admissions Arrangements	Children whose parents are in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance	
Cash benefit	School Clothing Allowance (school uniform grant)	A pupil is entitled to school clothing allowance where the household is in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit and is ineligible for Working Tax Credit because he/she works less than 16 hours per week; and has an annual taxable income not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department (currently £16,190)
•	Working Tax Credit and has an annual taxable income not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department (currently £16,190) and the pupil attends a primary school
•	Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit	
Discount	Concessionary Further Education fees	Students in receipt of:
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income Support
•	Working Tax Credit (with NHS Exemption and income threshold £16,350)
•	Child Tax Credit (income threshold £16,350)
•	Pension Credit
•	Rates Relief 
•	income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Other means tested benefit	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: dental treatment	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Health costs: optical treatment – sight tests	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for partners under 60

People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Discount	Health costs: optical treatment – optical vouchers	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner if they have one) is eligible:
•	Income Support

•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners
People (and their partner if they have one) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross
 taxable per year:
•	
Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element

•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own.
	
Cash benefit	Health costs: hospital travel costs scheme	Everyone receiving the following benefits (and their partner and dependent children) is eligible:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit for working age partners and any dependent children

People (and their partner and dependent children) receiving the following Tax Credits are eligible if their income is below a threshold amount - currently £15,276 gross taxable per year:
•	Working Tax Credit with a disability or severe disability element
•	Child Tax Credit with Working Tax Credit
•	Child Tax Credit on its own	
Benefit in kind	Healthy Start vouchers and vitamins	Healthy Start supports pregnant women, new mothers, and children under four years old in families receiving:
•	Income Support
•	income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit (except Working Tax Credit run on) and an annual family income of £16,190 or below	
Benefit in kind	Legal Aid	Those in receipt of:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit	
Benefit in kind/
discount	Exemptions and Remissions policy relating to civil court fees	1. Exemption
With the exception of Probate and Patients fees, where only remission can be applied for, exemption from paying a fee can be granted if the Applicant receives:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit and their gross annual income is less than £16,071 and either – 
i) Child Tax Credit is paid to the Applicant, or a claim has been made jointly by the members of a couple; or
ii) The Working Tax Credit has a Disability Element or Severe Disability Element (or both).
Please note that an applicant will not qualify for exemption if:
•	S/he is receiving legal aid; or
•	S/he is receiving funding from an insurance company, trade union or other source
2. Remission
If a person fails to meet the criteria for exemption or the fee relates to probate or patients, they can apply to have the fee remitted if he/she feels that the payment of the fee would cause them to suffer financial hardship or some other reasonable cause. All the applicant’s circumstances will be taken into account and considered.	
Cash benefit	Prison visit scheme	Claimant must be receiving eligible benefits as set out in Customer Service Guide (PV11). Income limit is £17,474 as set out by the Treasury.
Payment is considered if the visitor lives in Northern Ireland, is a close relative of the prisoner and is entitled to:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit (CTC), or Working Tax Credit (WTC) with CTC, or WTC with a disability element; - Note: in all these cases annual income as shown on the award notice must not exceed £17,474
•	help with healthcare costs because they hold an exemption certificate HC2 (Full Help) or HC3 (Partial Help) issued by the Social Security Agency	
Cash benefit	Sure Start Maternity Grant	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award	
Cash benefit	Cold Weather Payments	The qualifying benefits are:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

Those in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance in the assessment phase, Income Support, and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance must have either a pensioner or disability premium, a disabled child premium, Child Tax Credit with a disability element, or a child under 5	
Cash benefit	Funeral Payments	The qualifying benefits are: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
•	Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability elements is included in the award
•	Housing Benefit
•	Council Tax Benefit	
Benefit in kind	Warm Homes Scheme	Receipt of a range of means tested benefits, decided by DSD	
Benefit in kind	Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG)	Receipt of income based benefits can result in the grant applicant automatically being eligible for a 100% grant, subject to verification of the particular benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Cash benefit	Home Repairs Assistance Grant (HRAG)	The HRAG is a discretionary grant which is available to home owners and tenants to carry out external repairs to their property. No means test is undertaken for this grant type. The grant applicant must however be on one of the following means tested benefits or be infirm or have a disability at the date of application to be considered: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•	Working Tax Credit	
Cash benefit	Replacement Grant	Receipt of income based benefits can result in the grant applicant automatically being eligible for a 100% grant, subject to verification of the particular benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Cash benefit	Renovation Grant	Receipt of Income based benefits can result in the grant applicant automatically being eligible for a 100% grant, subject to verification of the particular benefits:
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance	
Benefit in kind	Group Repair	Terraces of properties which are included in the scheme have to meet criteria laid down by DSD regarding the % of properties in disrepair (at least 75%) and % of residents in receipt of listed benefits (at least 25%). Work is carried out to the external of the properties by Housing Executive with the owner’s agreement. Owners who are in receipt of: 
•	Income Support
•	Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
•	Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
will be passported to a NIL contribution towards the cost of any Group repair work.	

Annexe 4	Our Approach to the Review and List of Respondents

A sub-group of SSAC members was formed to take responsibility for the review, led by the Deputy Chair, and supported by Dr Nicola Moss, the SSAC Research and Policy Specialist, and other members of the SSAC Secretariat.

Review Activities

1.	The Committee launched a public consultation exercise in June 2011. We invited contributions from a wide variety of Stakeholders. The consultation sought information about:

•	the value and importance of passported benefits
•	the extent to which they might influence the decisions people take about moving into and staying in work
•	the key issues to be considered in the design of passported benefits under UC
•	the potential advantages and disadvantages for claimants, delivery agents and advice services of changing the disability criteria under UC
•	how passported benefits might be designed to enhance work incentives
•	how passported benefits might be simplified in future
•	the implications of cashing-up passported benefits within UC
•	how passported benefits might be withdrawn as earnings rise to avoid cliff-edges in income

We received over 60 responses.

2.	The Committee consulted academics in the field of social security to identify relevant research evidence that might inform the review. We received one response. Other academics replied to say that they knew of no research relevant to passported benefits.

3.	The Committee undertook a consultation exercise with government departments responsible for the key passported benefits in order to:

•	understand the specific policy objectives
•	collect information about eligibility criteria, delivery mechanisms, take up, and the costs of provision
•	seek views on the options for change under UC

4.	Professor Walker and Dr Moss met with officials across government on several occasions to discuss options for the future and explore the constraints they face in making changes that would be cost-neutral.

5.	Professor Walker and Dr Moss met with officials from the devolved administrations to consider the similarities and differences in the delivery of passported benefits in the different countries and understand the ways they might deliver passported benefits in the future. A separate consultation was held in Northern Ireland, organised by the Universal Credit Programme, NI Social Security Agency.

6.	Professor Walker and Dr Moss met regularly with members of the DWP UC policy team to discuss progress and ensure that we were abreast of developments relating to welfare reform and UC.

7.	Members of the SSAC passported benefits subgroup (Professor Kempson and Mr Andrews) consulted providers of social tariffs, including Wessex Water, WaterUK and BT to understand how the change to UC would impact on them and consider options for the future.

8.	We conducted five focus groups with CAB advisers across England and Wales (Leeds, London, Nottingham, Taunton and Cardiff) in order to:

•	seek their views about the advantages and disadvantages of the current system of passported benefits
•	consider how benefit claimants value passported benefits
•	understand the kinds of issues claimants face when seeking advice, especially about moving off benefits and going into work
•	explore the opportunities and challenges for the delivery of passported benefits under UC

9.	In collaboration with the DWP Insight Team, one focus group was held with benefit claimants and five face-to-face interviews with claimants who had received passported benefits.

10.	We held meetings with Stephen Brien, Expert Advisor to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and Deven Ghelani, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Social Justice.

11.	The SSAC Annual Stakeholder Event in November 2011 focused on the review of passported benefits, enabling further discussion about the options for the future.

12.	The SSAC presented an interim report to the Minister for Welfare Reform in September 2011 and engaged in further discussions with him in the following months.

Respondents to the SSAC Review

Respondents to the public consultation

Zoe Anderson	Access to Benefits	
Eric Bailey	Individual	
Gill Biffetti	Individual	
Roberta Blackman-Wood	MP	
Joanne Brady	East Riding Council	
Steve Carey	Leeds City Council	
Jacky Chan	Derby City Council	
Helen Coates	Fuel Poverty Advisory Group	
Ben Cook	College of Optometrists and the Optical Confederation	
Francesca Cooney	Prison Reform Trust	
Deborah Cowley	Action for Prisoners’ Families	
Neil Coyle	Disability Alliance	
Dr Linda de Caestecker	NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	
Peter Deaves	Inclusion	
Dan Dumoulin	St Mungo’s	
Dean Eatherton	Individual	
David Evans	St Helens Council	
Paul Eyres	Individual	
Rys Farthing	CPAG	
Patricia Fellows	Local Authority Caterers Association	
Chris Graham	Local Government Group	
Paul Gregg	Bristol University 	
Christine Haigh	Children’s Food Campaign	
Danny Hardie	Individual	
Julia Harris	Lambeth Council	
Colin Hartley	Individual	
Kevin Higgins	Advice NI	
Helen Hobson 	Conwy Borough Council	
Julian Hobson	Kirklees Council	
Sharon Hodgson	MP	
Lizzie Irons	CAB	
Helen Jarvis	Individual	
Christine Lewis	Unison	
Stephen Lutener	Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee	
Adam Lyons	Individual	
Claire McCarthy 	4Children	
Steve McIntosh	Carers UK	
Jeanette Miller	Individual	
Laura Niwa	Law Centre NI	
Angela Noble	Individual	
Funmi Olasoju	Equality 2025	
Ritu Patwari	Barnardo’s	
Gavin Poole	CSJ	
Andrew Rhodes	Welfare Benefits Unit	
Sam Royston	Joint Free School Meals	
Robin Seaman	BT Group Public Affairs	
Jon Shaw	Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform (SCoWR)	
Hilary Sibbald	Individual	
Kelly Smith	National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA)	
Lesley Stirton 	South Lanarkshire Council	
Ian Taylor	Southampton Primary Headteachers’ Conference	
Victoria Todd	Low Incomes Tax Reform Group	
Jo Walker	School Food Trust	
Colin Warburg	Individual	
Nigel Wheatley 	Wolverhampton City Council	
Rachael White	Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council	
Angela Williams	Wales CAB	
Dominic Williams	Individual	
Darren Woolfenden	Individual	
Maria Zealey	Surrey Welfare Rights Unit	

Officials in the Department for Education (DfE), Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Department of Health (DH), Department of Health – Healthy Start, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).

Officials from the Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Government and Welsh Government.

Annexe 5	International Comparisons: Provisions for Passported Benefits in Other Countries

	School meals	Health benefits	Energy costs	
France	Not passported. Around 50% of the school meal cost is state subsidised; the rest is borne by parents who pay according to a means-tested five-tier scale. 	Partially passported. Health benefits provided through compulsory insurance system. State provides free health insurance cover for those on a low income (including the unemployed, employed, or self-employed).	Partially passported. Special reduced electricity tariff (Tarif de Première Nécessité) for those on a low income (i.e. those whose income would make them also eligible for free health insurance cover). 	
Ireland	Not passported. Free meals are provided to all children in schools designated as “disadvantaged” and those in Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking regions) areas.	Partially passported. Free healthcare (prescriptions/ prosthesis/spectacles) only available to those over age 70 with income below specified thresholds, or to those under 70 with much lower income thresholds (than the over 70s).

	Passported. Fuel Allowance of €20 a week is payable for up to 32 weeks per annum to recipients of Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance (long-term), Disability Allowance, One Parent Family Payment, Blind Pension, Farm Assist, Widow’s and Widower’s (Non-Contributory) Pension and State Pension (Non-Contributory).

 Smokeless Fuel Allowance: €3.90 per week for 32 weeks per annum – subject to being in receipt of a payment for a minimum of 3 months. A smokeless fuel allowance may be paid in addition to a fuel allowance or on its own. 	

Sweden	Not passported. Free meals are available to all children in compulsory education, regardless of family income.	Partially passported. Payment required from patient for GP visits and prescriptions and hospital stays (but charges for latter may be reduced for those on certain benefits or on low income).	No general help provided for heating costs. Housing allowance can include a portion of heating costs in the benefit calculation.	
New Zealand	Not passported. No national school meals service. Over 90% of children bring a packed lunch to school.	Passported. People on low incomes are eligible for help towards health-care costs. Access is via an entitlement card system - the Community Service Card. Where a person qualifies for a card, and requires medical treatment for which there is a fee, such as out-of-hours GP consultations, prescriptions or out-patient treatment, presentation of the card gives access to a reduced charge. Community Service Cards are automatically available to people receiving the benefits below
•	Child Disability Allowance
•	Domestic Purposes Benefit
•	Emergency Benefit
•	Independent Youth Benefit
•	Invalids Benefit
•	Orphans Benefit
•	Residential Care Subsidy
•	Sickness Benefit
•	Student Allowance
•	Unemployment Benefit
•	Unsupported Childs Benefit
•	Veterans Pension
•	Widows Benefit. 	No general help provided for heating costs. Disabled people in receipt of Disability Allowance can get help with heating costs.	
USA	Passported. All children in households with any household member receiving benefits under the following Assistance Programmes are eligible for free school meals:
•	Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) – previously known as food stamps.
•	Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
•	Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF is a Federal designation; each State has its own name and acronym for the programme)
	Medicaid provides health coverage or nursing home coverage to certain categories of low-income people, including children, pregnant women, parents of eligible children, people with disabilities and elderly needing nursing home care. The exact eligibility rules vary from state to state and from group to group. However, recipients of Security Supplemental Income (federally administered) have automatic entitlement to Medicaid.	The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Programme (LIHEAP) enables most States to provide assistance to low income
households with their heating and air-conditioning bills and low-cost
weather-proofing. States have considerable discretion to determine eligibility criteria and the forms of assistance they offer. Generally, they can make recipients of Security Supplemental Income, TANF and Veterans Pensions automatically eligible for the benefits and extend them to other low income households.	

Annexe 6	Income Replacement under UC: Withdrawal of Free School Meals at a Fixed Income Threshold

Table A6.1 clearly shows the impact of the withdrawal of free school meals at a fixed income threshold (over £6,000) under UC for a lone parent with two children and housing costs in work at the National Minimum Wage.

Lone parent A receives UC but does not take-up free school meals. Lone parent B also receives UC but does take-up free school meals for her two children (the value of which is assumed to be £10/week per child). Up to 19 hours (the income threshold point) the gains to work under UC for the two lone parents in the example are equal, as lone parent B is not yet impacted by the withdrawal of free school meals.

However, once lone parent B increases their hours over the threshold point (beyond 19 hours) free school meals are withdrawn in full. Their gains to work are therefore reduced as a result of the loss of free school meals (plus tax, NI and the UC taper). Lone parent B would not break even (i.e. realise the same gains from work as at 19 hours) until the 30 hours point. Beyond the threshold point lone parent B would need to work an additional 12 hours (per week) in order to realise an additional gain of £1 from work.

A lone parent under the same circumstances but with one child would reach the threshold at 19 hours and would break even by 24 hours (as the initial value of free school meals would be less than in the example above).

If the same lone parent (one child) were working at the Average Wage rather than the National Minimum Wage the threshold point would be reached earlier (at 10 hours) and they would break even at 16 hours, i.e. they would need to work an extra 6 hours in order to realise an additional gain of £1 from work.

Table A6.2 provides the same illustration (the impact of the withdrawal of free school meals at a fixed income threshold (over £6,000) under UC), but for a couple household with one child and housing costs, where one person is working full-time at the National Minimum Wage and the other is working 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage.

Couple household A receives UC but do not take-up free school meals. Couple household B also receives UC and do take-up free school meals for their child (the value of which is assumed to be £10/week). In this case the threshold point for the main earner is reached at 4 hours. Once free school meals are withdrawn and compounded by tax, NI and the UC taper the gains to work are reduced for household B. The main earner in household B would break even at 14 hours. Therefore, beyond the threshold point the main earner in household B would need to work an additional 10 hours in order to realise an additional gain of £1 from work.

Table A6.1 Withdrawal of free school meals at a fixed income threshold for a lone parent household

Hours Worked per week	Lone parent A
(No FSMs):
Gains to work per week under Universal Credit (£)	Lone parent B (FSMs):
Gains to Work per week under Universal Credit (£) with Free School Meals withdrawn at £6,000		
1	6	6		
2	12	12		
3	18	18		
4	24	24		
5	30	30		
6	36	36		
7	42	42		
8	48	48		
9	54	54		
10	60	60		
11	62	62		
12	64	64		
13	67	67		
14	69	69		
15	71	71		
16	73	73		
17	75	75		
18	77	77		
19	79	79	Income Threshold Point	
20	81	61		
21	83	63		
22	85	65		
23	87	67		
24	89	69		
25	91	71		
26	93	73		
27	94	74		
28	96	76		
29	97	77		
30	99	79	Break Even Point	
31	100	80		
32	102	82		
33	103	83		
34	104	84		
35	106	86		
36	107	87		
37	109	89		
38	110	90		
39	112	92		
40	113	93		

Table A6.2 Withdrawal of free school meals at a fixed income threshold for a couple household 

Hours Worked per week	Couple household A
(No FSMs):
Gains to work per week under Universal Credit (£)	Couple household B (FSMs):
Gains to Work per week under Universal Credit (£) with Free School Meals withdrawn at £6,000		
1	2	2		
2	4	4		
3	6	6		
4	8	-12	Threshold Point	
5	10	-10		
6	13	-7		
7	15	-5		
8	17	-3		
9	19	-1		
10	21	1		
11	23	3		
12	25	5		
13	27	7		
14	29	9	Break Even Point	
15	31	11		
16	33	13		
17	36	16		
18	38	18		
19	40	20		
20	42	22		
21	44	24		
22	46	26		
23	48	28		
24	50	30		
25	52	32		
26	54	34		
27	55	35		
28	57	37		
29	58	38		
30	59	39		
31	61	41		
32	62	42		
33	64	44		
34	65	45		
35	66	46		
36	68	48		
37	69	49		
38	71	51		
39	72	52		
40	74	54		
Published by TSO (The Stationery Office) and available from:

Online
www.tsoshop.co.uk

Mail, telephone fax and email
TSO
PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN
Telephone orders/general enquiries
0870 600 5522
Order through the Parliamentary Hotline
Lo-Call 0845 7 023474
Fax orders: 0870 600 5533
Email: customer.services@tso.co.uk
Textphone: 0870 240 3701

The Parliamentary Bookshop
12 Bridge Street, Parliament Square,
London SW1A 2JX
Telephone orders/general enquiries:
020 7219 3890
Fax orders: 020 7219 3866
Email: bookshop@parliament.uk
Internet: http://www.bookshop.parliament.uk

TSO@Blackwell and other Accredited Agents

This publication can be accessed online at:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/policypublications/
SSAC-rev-of-pass-bens

For more information about this publication, contact:
Universal Credit
Department for Work and Pensions
Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Email: universalcredit.policycorrespondence@
dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Copies of this publication can be made
available in alternative formats if required.

Department for Work and Pensions
March 2012
www.dwp.gov.uk