THE Education Authority (EA) is appealing to families who may be eligible to apply for free school meals and uniform grants to do so before the end of July.

The application process has moved online for the first time this year, and the EA also wants to remind families who were in receipt of free school meals and uniform grants in previous years that they need to apply again.

Families can apply for Free School Meals and Uniform grants if the pupil(s) is in full-time education and if they are in receipt of one of the following benefits: Income Support; Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance; Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance; Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit; Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable income of £16,190 or less; Universal Credit and have net household earnings not exceeding £14,000 per year.

There is no deadline for making an application for free school meals or uniform grants for the new school year commencing on September 1, but there is an approximate four-week processing time for applications.

If you have any queries or difficulty in completing an online application you can get in touch with the EA via their dedicated helpdesk at 028 9041 8044, or by emailing mealsanduniform@eani.org.uk.