THOUSANDS of families can get up to £200 free cash towards school uniforms ahead of the new academic year.
The help comes via a Government-backed scheme designed to help hard-up households struggling for cash.
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The cost of kitting out your kids for a new school term can rack up fast but you might be able to get help via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
Grants to help with school uniform costs are offered by several councils across England, with up to £200 free cash available.
You’ll have to get in touch with your local council to apply.
Most councils have web pages dedicated to the HSF, or you can always call your local authority by finding the contact details on its website.
To find what council area you fall under, visit www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Who is eligible and how much could I get?
Councils set their own eligibility criteria for whatever they have been portioned from the HSF.
That means whether you qualify for help is dependent on where you live and it can be a postcode lottery.
However, help is usually offered to those on a low income, benefits or classed as vulnerable.
So, if you are on something like Universal Credit, Income Support or Tax Credits, you will likely be in line for support.
Check with your local council what its eligibility criteria is.
The amount you are eligible for can vary dramatically in the latest round, with grants worth hundreds of pounds up for grabs.
For example, Medway Council, in South East England, is distributing school uniform vouchers to hard-up households worth £100.
You receive £100 for every dependent school age child, per household per year, unless in exceptional circumstances.
So, if you have two dependent children you can get £200.
You can apply for help via www.medway.gov.uk.
In Milton Keynes, the city council is offering help to households struggling to meet the cost of essential items including school uniforms.
How much you can get depends on your specific circumstances.
Officers working for the council will determine how much you can get during an assessment.
You can find out more details via www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/benefits/household-support-fund.
Wakefield Council is distributing a range of support to residents in need through its latest round of HSF.
This includes supermarket vouchers which can be used to get money off school uniforms.
Meanwhile, Southwark Council, in London, is dishing out grants to parents with children aged 11 moving from primary to secondary school.
The grant is a £45 voucher which can be redeemed in shops.
To be eligible for the vouchers, you have to be receiving any one of a number of benefits including Universal Credit or Income Support.
For more details and how to apply visit www.southwark.gov.uk/schools-and-education/financial-support-school-age-children/school-uniform-grants.
Hounslow Council, also in London, is offering payments to eligible households worth up to £60.
Payments of £60 are made to secondary school pupils while grants of £15 per child are made to children in primary education.
What about outside England?
All local authorities in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales offer school uniform grants, unlike in England.
In Wales, all parents meeting eligibility criteria can apply for grants of £125, or £200 for those whose children are moving from primary to secondary school, via their local councils.
You can find out more via the Welsh Government’s website. Applications for this year’s grants end on May 31.
In Scotland, councils distribute grants of at least £120 per child for primary school pupils and £150 per child for secondary school pupils to eligible parents.
You can find out more via mygov.scot/clothing-grants.
In Northern Ireland, parents of primary school pupils could be eligible for £42.90, with £87.60 available for secondary pupils under the age of 15 on August 1, 2024, and £93.60 for pupils over 15 years of age on August 1 2024. Details can be found on the government’s website.
Payments made to parents by councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not made from HSF funding.
Household Support Fund explained
Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund.
If you’re battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline.
The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living.
Every council in England has been given a share of £421million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households.
Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments.
In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families.
Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying.
Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income.
The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer.
The current round runs until the end of March 2025, but has been extended.
The next round will run between April 2025 and March 2026.
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