Free school meals, milk and school clothing grants

Apply for school grants

Most families who receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction receive school grants automatically if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Parents are normally notified of automatic awards by letter in June each year.

Families who do not receive an automatic award can apply for school grants if they meet the criteria.

You can still apply for the remainder of the current school year. Applications for the 2024-25 school year will open in June 2024.

Apply for school grants

What you get

Families on low income can get school grants to help with the cost of lunches and school clothing.

All children in primary 1 to 5 and special schools receive free school meals, regardless of your income or benefit status. However, if you match the conditions for free school meals on the Scottish Government website you will be eligible to receive

  • free school meals for your children in P6, P7 and in secondary school
  • payment for lunches during school holidays
  • free milk or healthy snack
  • a school clothing grant payment of £120 for each primary child and £150 for each secondary child, paid once a year into your bank account.

You can receive this for your children attending primary and secondary schools, but it is not available to children in early years settings.

School grants are valid for one school year. The entitlement ends if your child leaves school before the end of the school year.

We pay clothing grants between July until 31 March the following year. Only one Clothing Grant is paid per child.

Most clothing grants are paid throughout July and August before the new school year begins. However, if your child is above the age for compulsory education (over 16 years of age on 30 September), the clothing grant will not be paid until the school confirm they have returned after the summer holiday.

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