You may be able to apply for free school meals and a clothing grant if you are a parent or guardian of a child and are in receipt of particular benefits
What is included in free school meals
This gives your child one free meal on every day that they are at school.
All children in Primary 1 to Primary 5 get a free school meal as part of Scottish Government policy.
If your child, or the child you care for, is in Primary 6 or above, you can apply online for free school meals.
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.
What a clothing grant is
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. Unfortunately, you cannot apply for a clothing grant for nursery children.
The clothing grant is £120 per eligible primary school pupil and £150 per eligible secondary school pupil.
Who can apply for clothing grants and free school meals
You can apply for free school meals and or clothing grants if
- your child, or the child you care for, goes to a Renfrewshire primary, secondary or special school
- you receive specific benefits, see the table below.
| Benefit Received | Free School Meals | Clothing Grant | Proof Required Dated within the past six months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Support | Yes | Yes | DWP award letter or current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602) which shows entitlement to this benefit. All pages required |
| Jobseekers Allowance (Income Based) | Yes | Yes | DWP award letter or current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602) which shows entitlement to this benefit. All pages required |
| Employment & Support Allowance (Income Related) |
Yes | Yes | DWP award letter or current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602) which shows entitlement to this benefit. All pages required |
| Child Tax Credit with a gross annual income below £17,005 with no element of Working Tax Credit | Yes | Yes | Current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602). All pages required |
| Maximum Child Tax Credit and maximum Working Tax Credit with annual income below £7,920 | Yes | Yes | Current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602). All pages required |
| Support Under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 | Yes | Yes | Confirmation Letter/Home Office |
| Universal Credit with a monthly earned income of not more than £660 | Yes | Yes | Universal Credit awards notice |
| Housing Benefit | No | Yes | Current Letter to show receipt of Housing Benefit |
| Council Tax reduction | No | Yes | Current Letter to show receipt of Council Tax reduction |
| Working Tax Credit with an annual income under £16,105 | No | Yes | Current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602). All pages required |
| Child Tax Credit with an annual income under £17,005 | No | Yes | Current Tax Credit Award Notice (TC602). All pages required |
What evidence you need to provide
Have a look at the table above for details of the proof you need to give us to support your application.
All Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and Housing Benefit/Council Tax award letters must be dated within the past six months.
If you need a copy of your award letter, you can contact the relevant government department:
- Income support, Job Seekers Allowance or Employment Support Allowance, contact the Department of Work and Pensions on 0845 608 8598.
- Tax Credits, contact HM Revenue & Customs on 0345 300 3900.
Apply for a clothing grant or free school meals
You can apply online for a clothing grant and free school meals.
You must attach the proof of benefits you currently receive and include the supporting evidence asked for on the form.
How you will be paid your clothing grant
Clothing grant payments are made by faster payment direct to your bank account.
If you don’t have a bank account yourself, you can use a trusted account (e.g. a relative) as this will ensure payment is received quickly. It also allows you to receive ongoing payments for Free School Meals while schools are operating with coronavirus restrictions.
If your child is 16 (before 30 September) and could leave school after June, you can still apply for a clothing grant and free school meals for them.
If you are applying for a child who has never attended a Renfrewshire Council nursery or school before, we must wait until that child is enrolled before processing your application.
