Schools are permitted to charge for the cost of board and lodging during residential school trips. This cost must not exceed the actual cost of the provision.

Where the trip takes place wholly, or mainly, during school hours children whose parents are in receipt of the following support payments will, in addition to having a free school lunch entitlement, also be entitled to the remission of these charges:

• Income Support;
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
• Child Tax Credit provided the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income does not exceed £14,495;
• Guaranteed State Pension Credit.

A similar entitlement applies where the trip takes place outside of school hours but it is necessary as part of the national curriculum, forms part of the syllabus for a prescribed examination that the school is preparing the pupil to sit, or the syllabus for religious education.

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