Financial Help with School Uniforms
In this article, we outline what help is available to pay for school uniforms in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Paying for school uniforms can be costly. According to the Department for Education, the average cost of school uniform is £340 for primary school children and around £454 for those in secondary education. Depending on where you live in the UK, you may be eligible for financial support. This article outlines what help is available in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, what charitable organisations may be able to provide support, and a few other suggestions for decreasing the cost of your child’s school uniform.
Summary of grants available:
The table below shows an overview of the grants available across the UK, depending on region. Keep reading the article to see more information on each one.
| Region | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| England | Varies by local council | Varies |
| Scotland | School Clothing Grant | £120 (Primary)/ £150 (Secondary) per year |
| Scotland | School Age Payment | £319.80 one-off payment |
| Wales | School Essentials Grant | Up to £200 per year |
| Wales | Education Maintenance Allowance | £40 per week |
| Northern Ireland | Uniform Allowance | Up to £93.60 per year |
Scroll down to see details on each grant and how to apply.
England
School Uniform Support
Support for school uniform costs in England varies by local authority. Unlike other UK nations, there’s no national scheme, but some councils do offer grants.
- Check if your local council offer a school uniform grant: MoneySavingExpert have created a list of councils offering school uniform grants. Click here to see this list and to find out how to apply.
- Contact your local council to ask for help: Even if your local council do not specifically offer any uniform support, it may still be worth contacting them to see if they offer other support. Under the Household Support Fund, councils in England can access funding to help those most in need with the cost of daily essentials, including school clothing in some cases, or they may have other schemes in place which could help you.
Click here to find your local council.
Scotland
School Clothing Grant
Local Councils in Scotland offer a School Clothing Grant. This offers financial help with your child’s school clothing and shoes.
Who can apply depends on your local council. Visit you local council website to see their eligibility. Click here to select your local council.
Everybody who gets a school clothing grant will get at least:
- £120 per child of primary school age.
- £150 per child of secondary school age.
You can apply for a school clothing grant once per child in a financial year.
You need to apply for the grant through your local council. Most councils will accept applications from July until the end of March.
Click here to apply and find out more.
School Age Payment
School Age Payment is a grant in Scotland to help with the costs of preparing for school when your child is first old enough to start primary school.
You can spend this money on anything you need for your child at this age. This could include:
- Clothes.
- School trips.
- Stationery for school.
You are only eligible when your child is first old enough to start primary school. This will be when they are 4 or 5 years old, depending on when their birthday is.
To get a payment, your child does not have to take up a place at school. You’ll still need to apply in the year that your child is first old enough to start school, if:
- You’re deferring when your child starts school.
- Your child is not going to school.
You can get the payment for multiple children, as long as each child is the right age when you apply. Please see the table below for when to apply for the School Age Payment:
| Your child’s date of birth | When you can apply |
|---|---|
| Between 1 March 2020 and 28 February 2021 | Between 1 June 2025 and 28 February 2026 |
| Between 1 March 2021 and 28 February 2022 | Between 1 June 2026 and 28 February 2027 |
The application dates for children born before February 2020 have already passed. You cannot apply for a child outside of these application dates.
£319.80 per child. You can only get this payment once.
Wales
School Essentials Grant
The School Essentials Grant is a payment which can help cover the costs of:
- School uniform, including coats and footwear.
- School activities: this could include learning a musical instrument, sports kit and other equipment for after school activities.
- Classroom essentials: this could include pens, pencils and school bags.
Am I eligible?
You may be eligible if:
- You have a child in reception to year 11.
- Are on a lower income.
- Recieve certain benefits.
Click here to see the full eligibility criteria. If your child is eligible for means-tested Free School Meals (eFSM), they are likely to be eligible for the School Essentials Grant.
You could get up to £200. You can claim once per child per school year.
Receiving the School Essentials Grant does not affect your tax or other benefits.
Click here to apply and for more information.
Education Maintenance Allowance
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is a weekly payment to help 16 to 18 year olds with the costs of further education. This is paid directly to the student.
You may be eligible if:
- You are between 16 and 18 years old on the 31 August.
- You match the nationality and residency restrictions.
- You are studying an appropriate course.
- Your household income is below a certain level.
Click here to see the full eligibility criteria.
Your child would get weekly £40 payments. Payments are made every 2 weeks as long as you meet your school or college’s attendance requirements.
You can apply online. Click here for more information and to apply.
Northern Ireland
Uniform Allowance
Uniform Allowance is a payment to help you pay for your child’s uniform in Northern Ireland.
You may be eligible if your child is in full-time education and if you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- Income Support;
- Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance;
- Income Related Employment and Support Allowance;
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit;
- Universal Credit and have net household earnings not exceeding £15,390 per year.
Click here to see eligibility criteria.
The current uniform rates are:
- £42.90 per Primary School pupil.
- £87.60 per Secondary School and Special School pupils (Under 15 years of age on 1 August 2025).
- £93.60 per Secondary School and Special School pupils (15 years of age or over on 1 August 2025).
If your child is in Secondary School or Special School, £26.40 of this amount must be spent on PE uniform.
Click here to apply.
Charities or Community Schemes That Can Help With Uniform Costs
You could also check if your region has any charity or community schemes that provide school uniforms or financial support. Here are a few schemes that we know about. Click on each of the yellow boxes to find out what the schemes offer and how to apply:
Family Fund can grant clothing vouchers to families will ease the financial burden of the new school year. They have a range of voucher options that can be used to purchase school uniform.
Click here to see more information.
The Salvation Army have School Uniform Banks across the UK.
They can offer second-hand school uniforms, uniform exchanges or community wardrobes.
Click here to find your local centre and see if they offer uniform support.
Buttle UK provide vulnerable children in the UK with new school uniform.
While they do not offer support specifically for disabled children, they do provide help to children whose siblings are receiving end-of-life care.
Click here to see more details on eligibility.
You can apply through Buttle’s Chances for Children grant application process. All applications for these grants must be made through a local support service.
Click here to find out how to apply.
Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust provide Back-To-School grants to support families who work or recently worked in the UK fashion and textile industry.
This can be used for school uniform assistance and funding for study essentials.
Click here to apply.
Free School Uniforms provide new and pre-loved uniforms, along with essentials like coats and shoes, all year round.
These items are donated by parents, PTAs, and local businesses, making sure families get the support they need when money is tight.
Click here to apply.
confidence, including:
- New uniforms
- Shoes
- Backpacks
- Lunchboxes
- Stationery
- Swimwear
- PE kits
Families need to be referred by a professional or by one of Sebby’s Corner 17 partner schools.
Click here to see more information.
Uniformed Education Charity is a charity dedicated to reducing all unnecessary barriers to entry to education for children in the UK, starting with school uniforms.
To be eligible your child must qualify for free school meals and your family must be based in England.
Uniformed Education Charity provide vouchers to help you pay for school uniforms.
Click here to see more information.
Wood Street Mission have a Smart Start campaign to help provide struggling families across Greater Manchester and Salford with new school uniform.
The project runs year-round, allowing families to place uniform orders as needed, with the option to choose other vital school items such as winter coats, school bags, and PE kits. All services are free to access.
Click here to see more information about the scheme.
Wood Street Mission support low income families in Manchester and Salford.
You cannot self refer. You need to be referred to Wood Street Mission by a professional who knows your family’s circumstances well.
Click here to see more information about referral.
If you know of any more schemes, please get in touch at [email protected] to let us know so that we can add it to this list.
Other Ways to Reduce the Cost of Uniform
Here are a few other options that may help you to reduce the cost of your child’s school uniform:
Speak to your child’s school
Your child’s school may be able to provide help using Pupil Premium funding. This funding is allocated to support students from lower-income households and can sometimes be used to assist with uniform costs.
Uniform Banks
You may be able to get a free or cheap uniform from a uniform bank. Here are a few ways you could find a uniform bank near you:
Search one of these Uniform Bank directories: Fashion & textile children’s trust and Grown Out Of It have both put together School Uniform Bank directories to help help parents source pre-loved school uniform locally in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Click here to see Fashion & textile children’s trust’s Uniform Bank directory.
Click here to see Grown Out Of It Uniform Bank directory.
Look on your local Facebook Group: There may be a ‘school uniform bank’ or pop-up shop in your area offering items at low or no cost, or a swap meet where you can exchange items with other parents and carers.
Buy a Second-Hand Uniform
Buying a second hand uniform could be a good way to source your child’s uniform for a lower cost. Here are a couple of ways that you may be able to find a second-hand uniform:
- Your school may run a second-hand uniform scheme.
- Facebook Marketplace or eBay may also be selling uniforms from your child’s school.
Further Information
For more information on education or financial help, please see our articles on:
If you have any comments, ideas, or suggestions about this article don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected]
Please don’t forget to leave feedback on this article!
Rachel Carluke, Family Information Officer
First published: August 2025
Review due: August 2026
