Be as prepared as you can be for August 2020 and find out if you could benefit from some of these supports on offer:

School Age Payment

The School Age Payment is part of Best Start Grant, a package of three payments that will give extra money to low income families during the early years of a child’s life. It is a £250 payment made around the time a child normally starts Primary 1 to help with the costs of a child starting school. The money can be used for anything from school uniform and shoes to a school bag, books or days out.

Applications open on 1 June 2020 and will remain open until 28 February 2021. Parents who have deferred entry to August 2021 should still apply in the 1 June 2020 to 28 February window. If they wait until after then it will be too late and they will miss out on their payment. Applications will be taken via the freephone helpline on 0800 182 2222, by post or online at mygov.scot/best-start-grant.

Free School Meals

Free School Meals give your child one free meal on every day that they are at school. All children in Primary 1- Primary 3 all receive a free school meal as part of Scottish Government policy. If your child, or the child you care for, is in Primary 4 or above, you can apply online for free school meals. Please note that you can apply for Free School Meals at any time in the school year. Free School Meal applications received now are only paid from the date the application is processed. The payment is not backdated. More information about Free School Meals and if you are eligible to apply can be found here

Clothing Grant

A clothing grant is a payment to help you buy school uniforms. If you qualify, we’ll give you one grant for each child during any school year.  The clothing grant is £100 per eligible pupil.

Applications for Clothing Grants will reopen in June for the school year 2020/21. For the most up to date information, please look at Renfrewshire Council’s guidance on there website which can be viewed here.