Free school meals and clothing grants
Universal Credit journal guidance
This guide explains how to download and upload your journal from your Universal Credit account on GOV.UK as evidence when applying for Free School Meals and Clothing Grants.
When we ask for your Universal Credit journal, we must see on the page:
- Your full name
- Your address
- Your Take Home Pay information
We use this information to verify your identity and assess your eligibility for Free School Meals and Clothing Grants.
The screenshots below show example details.
Find your name and address
Your Universal Credit journal must clearly show your full name and address. These details are usually displayed near the top of the journal.
Find your Take Home Pay
The Take Home Pay section is located on the last page of your Universal Credit journal.
To qualify for Free School Meals and Clothing Grants, your Take Home Pay must be £850 or less.
Your Take Home Pay is different from the amount of Universal Credit you receive each month.
Make sure you check the figure shown in the Take Home Pay section of your journal.
Saving your journal as a PDF
When uploading your Universal Credit journal to your application, you should upload the complete document as a single PDF file.
- Open your Universal Credit journal.
- Select Print this statement link to download or save the journal as a PDF.
- Ensure all pages are included.
- Check that your name, address and Take Home Pay are visible.
- Note where you save the file so you can access later.
- Upload the PDF during the evidence upload stage of your application.
Before you submit your application
Check that your uploaded document:
- Contains your full name
- Contains your address
- Shows your Take Home Pay amount
- Includes all pages of your journal
- Has been saved as a single PDF file
Important: If your journal does not include your name, address or Take Home Pay information, we may not be able to process your application