Help with school uniforms

If you’re on a low income, you could get as much as £150 to £1000 a year towards the cost of your child’s school uniform, depending on how many children you are buying for. With the cost-of-living crisis plunging families into financial hardship, families who were not previously entitled to help, may now be entitled. Therefore, it’s worth checking what you could receive.

Applications should be made directly to your local authority. Many councils set their own deadlines, but applications generally open by the end of June and stay open until at least the end of September.

Help in England

In England, it’s up to individual local authorities to decide whether to offer a school uniform grant. It can be a bit of a “postcode lottery”.

Check if your local council provides help with the cost of school uniform and PE kit. If your council does not offer help, ask your child’s school directly.

Find out what local support is available to help with the cost of school uniforms (GOV.UK)

Help in Wales

Check with your local council if you are eligible for a grant for the cost of school uniform and PE kit. If you are not eligible for a grant, you can ask your child’s school directly.

Find out what local support is available to help with the cost of school uniforms (GOV.WALES)

Search for a grant

If you are unable to obtain a grant from your local council, you may be able to receive help through a charitable grant.

Charity-run website Turn2us has a grants search tool which tells you how to contact any suitable charities directly. Alternatively, you can register for a free account to send online enquiries and applications to charities through the site.

Supermarket uniforms

Many supermarkets sell generic plain-coloured uniforms. If you need a logo on the uniform, you can sometimes buy these separately and iron the badge on to the uniform yourself, which can work out cheaper. You will need to check with the school first to make sure they allow for generic uniforms. See The Big Issue for further tips.

Second-hand uniforms

Ask your school about any school uniform sales in your local area. These normally happen a couple of times a year. You can also check online groups or other online marketplaces, such as e-Bay and Facebook. See The Big Issue for further tips.