Clothing grants and free school meals

From 2023/24, clothing grants will be extended to 3 and 4 year olds in early years establishments (nurseries). You will be entitled to a clothing grant to buy a uniform if you have a child who attends an early years establishment (nursery) or school in South Lanarkshire and you are in receipt of any of the following benefits: (the figures below are for the academic year commencing in August 2024)

• Income Support
• Universal Credit (and your earned income is less than £1,495 as assessed by the Department for Work and Pensions in the assessment period immediately preceding your application for a clothing grant)
• Job Seekers Allowance (income based)
• Employment and Support allowance (income related)
• Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction
• Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit (where your gross annual income is less than £19,995 as assessed by HM Revenues and Customs on your Tax Credit Award Notice TC602)

For the academic year 2024/25, you will receive a grant of £130 for each early years establishment (nursery) child and primary school child in the family, and £150 for each secondary school child in the family. Please note, children returning for 5th or 6th year will have their awards paid from August, once their school has confirmed that they are attending. 

To check the eligibility criteria for free school meals, please check the Eligibility section on our Free school meals page. 

Applications can now be made for the academic year 2024/25 starting in August 2024.

Your clothing grant will be paid directly into your bank account by BACS. Payments will be made from the 21 June 2024. If you have made a new application online, it can take up to four weeks to receive your payment. Payments for S5 and S6 pupils will not be paid until the pupils have returned to school in August.

If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or *Council Tax Reduction from South Lanarkshire Council and you have a child who attends a school or a child aged 3 or 4 who attends an early years establishment (nursery) in South Lanarkshire, do not complete our online application. We will use the information we hold to automatically award a clothing grant to eligible families. If you received a clothing grant last year, there is no need to re-apply if your circumstances have not changed.

*Single person discount on your Council Tax is not classed as Council Tax Reduction. If you are receiving single person discount on your Council Tax, you should still apply for a clothing grant/free school meals. Universal Credit recipients should only apply online if they are not receiving Council Tax Reduction.

For those applying under Kinship Care (when a child is looked after by their extended family or close friends if they cannot remain with their parents), please contact us using our online enquiry form.

Evidence

The following will be required with your online application (if relevant):

• Tax Credits - all pages of your current award notice (TC602) for this year showing the following:
  • Name and address
  • Household income
  • Any children's details
  • Working Tax/Child Tax Credit award details
• Universal Credit - screenshots of all sections of your most recent online Payment Statement showing the following:
  • Name and address
  • Amount being paid and date of assessment period
  • All entitlement and deduction figures
• Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction - your most recent award letter (not applicable if you live in South Lanarkshire)

If you do not provide all the required pages of your Tax Credits award notice or Universal Credit statement, this could cause a delay in your application being processed.

Please note: in some circumstances, you may be asked to provide proof of child benefit as noted below - 

• Child Benefit award letter or Bank statement showing your name, address and Child Benefit payment details

Please have your evidence (where applicable) ready to upload before you begin.