How to get the £150 school uniform grant and other financial help available to parents

Some parents can claim up to £150 to help cover the cost of buying school uniform at the start of the new term. 

The grant is part of the Education Act 1990, which gave local authorities the power to provide financial help to parents on low incomes with school uniform.

This does mean, unfortunately, that it is is not available everywhere and is at the discretion of each council. 

Many councils have cancelled the grant due to years of cutbacks. 

Generally, the grant is available to people who are on a range of benefits including jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment benefit or pension tax credits.

If your council offers the grant it is often available for those children that qualify for free school meals.

The financial help depends on what age your child is and what type of school they go to. Find out the councils in Greater Manchester offering the grant below.

The Greater Manchester boroughs’ councils that offer the uniform grant:

• Bolton – available to children in year seven and nine with parents seeking benefits. 
• Stockport – children in secondary school who receive free school meals might be eligible for Stockport’s Secondary School Clothing Scheme.

There is no uniform grant to assist with costs available in Bury, however, you can access free school meals. Manchester City Council also only offers free school meals.

Tameside Council offers free school meals and travel passes. They also offer a clothing grant called the ‘Hardship Fund’ which provides financial support when parents/carers can’t provide uniform due to particular circumstances. Find out more here. 

Rochdale Council does not provide a grant themselves but provides guidance on charitable trust grants that help pay for school supplies including uniforms. Find out more here. 

Trafford council do not offer a uniform grant, it does offer free school meals. Similarly, Wigan council offer free school meals as well as Pupil Premium and Early years pupil premium (EYPP). Find out more. 

To find out if your local council offers the grant or to find out more information on the above, head to your local council website and search ‘uniform grant’. Or find out more about the grant on the government’s website here.