School uniform grants: How to find help available near you - and how to apply
In some areas, hundreds of pounds are available to families struggling with uniform costs 💰
- The new school year is creeping up, meaning families will soon need to shop for school uniforms
- Government estimates suggest uniform costs are setting parents back hundreds of pounds
- There is funding available to help some families pay for new uniforms
- But what exactly is available and whether you might be eligible varies depending on where you live
The summer holidays are almost here for schoolchildren - but what might be weeks of summer fun for them can equal weeks of money worries for parents.
The current school year will break around July 23 in most parts of England. Pupils will then return to the classroom for the the new, 2025/26 school year at the start of September. For many families, especially those among the thousands with a child starting at a new primary or secondary school, this will mean a big back-to-school shop is on the cards – and new uniforms are often one of the priciest parts.
The Government has recently taken action to try and curb uniform prices. Under its Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill – now making its way through the House of Lords – schools would only be able to require parents to buy up to three branded uniform items in a school year. Its own analysis found that parents were having to pay £442 on average to kit a child out for secondary school, or £343 for primary school.
Fortunately, there is often help available to families who might be really struggling to pay for their child’s uniform this year in the form of school uniform grants. Here’s how you can find out more about these – as well as whether you might be eligible for one:
How can I find out about uniform grants in my area?
These are usually available on a local authority basis, and are often paid for with Household Support Fund funding from the Government. This means that what exactly is available – and to whom – will differ depending on where in England you live.
To find out what’s available in your area, you should visit your council website. Most will usually have a search function, but even if they don’t, the relevant page is usually housed under ‘schools’ or ‘education’ – making them easy to find. Even if your council doesn’t have a grant itself, it will usually have a page with advice on where you can go for help locally.
In some areas, like London’s Tower Hamlets, for example, there are wide-reaching grants available to many families. So long as your household earns below a set amount (£50,350 in this case), you can get up to £50 for a child entering Reception, and £150 for a child starting secondary school.
In other areas, help with uniform costs is only available in exceptional circumstances. In Lancashire, for example, you can get £20 for primary or £50 for secondary-aged pupils’ branded school items. Circumstances which might make you eligible include floods or fires which have damaged your belongings, or your child having an education, health and care plan in place which requires them changing schools.
Unfortunately, some local authorities do not currently provide any help with school uniform costs, like Croydon, or Leeds, for example. If you need help, they advise approaching your child’s school directly.
How do I apply for one?
On your local authority’s webpage, it will give you instructions on how to apply. For most, this will involve filling out an online form, while others will have specific staff members listed you’ll need to send your application in to.
In all cases, make sure you have important information and supporting documents on hand to streamline the process. This may include things like recent bank statements if the grant is means-tested in your area, or a letter from a social worker, support worker, school, or doctor if it’s only available in cases of hardship.
If you’re turned down, most councils also allow you to appeal or seek a review of their decision.
What measures are in place to keep costs low?
As well as efforts to limit the number of branded uniform items parents have to buy, there have been a number of other Government-level initiatives to keep costs for families from getting too high.
Ultimately, schools still have the power to make their own decisions on uniform policies. But as of the 2023/24 school year, they have to follow legal guidance on costs – which includes making sure they’re generally affordable.
Schools should already be limiting the number of branded items needed, it continued. On top of that, it says schools should avoid requiring students to buy additional uniform items for extracurricular activities like drama or sports – or for inter-school competitions.
They should also make sure that second-hand uniforms are available to those who need them, the guidance says. Information on how and where to buy them should be published on the school’s website.
With schools being encouraged to limit branded uniform items, many parents will be able to buy more generic items – often at much lower cost. Supermarkets often have bundle deals available for as low as £5. To find out more about these and when best to score one by checking out our coverage here.