It is that time of year again when the applications for the School clothing grant and free school meals open.
If you are entitled, completing these applications will not only provide your child with lunch every day and school milk. It will also give you access to support services and if needed extra support in school.
Please find below some helpful information from West Lothian Council on how to apply, what is needed to complete the application and other services that are available.
The Equity team are also here to help, you can contact us through the school email wlcalderwood-ps@westlothian.org.uk or by phoning 01506 280060. If you would prefer to speak to us in person we have our Calderwood Chatter on a Friday morning between 11.00am – 12.00pm, where you can pop in for a cuppa and a friendly chat.
Message from West Lothian Council
Dear parent/carer,
We would like to invite you to apply for a school clothing grant and free school meals for the forthcoming 2023/2024 academic year, so please use this link to make application https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/mealsandclothing
If you have any difficulties with the online form please email us and we would be happy to assist. If you have any issues uploading evidence of benefit to the form (and please note that we cannot assess for free school meals/milk/additional payments without it), then please instead email the evidence to us directly stating your name and address and we will link it up with your application.
Here are examples of the kind of evidence we are looking for:
- Recent letter confirming receipt of Income Support/Pension Credit/Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment & Support Allowance (any income-related element)
- Screenshot or photo from your bank statement showing recent receipt of ‘DWP IS’ or ‘DWP EESA’
- Pages 1 to 4 of a 2023/2024 tax credit award notice, final tax credit decision for 2022/2023, or a tax credit annual review up to 05 April 2023
Here’s what do to if you receive Universal Credit;
- Log into your Universal Credit online journal
- Click on your most recent payment
- Click “print this statement” at the top of the page
- Email us the 2 page pdf created
- Or email screenshots of ALL the pages uninterrupted showing your name, address, payment, take-home pay and/or deductions
You will likely be aware that current universal entitlement to free school meals includes nursery children as well as P1 to P5. Entitlement to free school meals through qualifying benefit can result in parents/carers receiving additional financial support during school holidays, please therefore include pupils on your form who will be in P1 to S6 as of 15th August 2023, but please note that pupils staying on at school whilst over the school leaving age are not entitled to a school clothing grant, they will likely instead be entitled to Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of £30 per week, and more information can be found using this link https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/ema.
Please be aware that schools can offer help using their clothing store, and they could refer you to http://schoolbank-westlothian.org/. If you would like a benefit check to make sure you are receiving your full benefit entitlement or would like more information about what other types of financial support may be available for you and your family then please get in touch with the Advice Shop on 01506 283000 option 5 or e-mail Advice.Shop@westlothian.gov.uk. Please use this link if you would like to check other support which maybe available Cost of Living Hub West Lothian – West Lothian Council
Yours sincerely
Anti-Poverty Service
Benefits and Financial Support Team
St David House
South Bridge Street
Bathgate
EH48 1TT
