Households can claim up to £200 in vouchers to help with school uniform costs this year through the government’s cost of living scheme.
The help comes from the Household Support Fund, which is a government-funded scheme that has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area. Each authority decides how it wants to spend the money, and you can only get help from your local council.
Even though the start of the new school term is still a fair few months away, many parents across the country are likely thinking about the costs of the new school uniform. Particularly since a raft of bills were hiked in April.
The Household Support Fund typically provides help such as supermarket and energy vouchers and free cost-of-living payments. However, many are not aware that the scheme can also help with school uniform costs. It’s important to note that not all councils offer this help to families, as each determines what support they offer.
WHATSAPP GROUP: Get money news and top deals straight to your phone by joining our Money WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Money newsletter here for all the best advice and shopping deals straight to your inbox.
The amount you are eligible for can vary dramatically between councils. Alongside this, the support is usually only available to low-income households. This means they are claiming a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit such as Universal Credit or Income Support. Although, again the exact criteria for each local authority is different.
Medway Council, in South East England, is distributing school uniform vouchers worth £100 to households struggling with the cost of covering school uniforms. Households can only claim one £100 voucher for each dependent school-aged child per year. This only changes under “exceptional circumstances”. So, if you have two school-aged children, you are eligible for £200 worth of school uniform vouchers.
For all you savvy savers and bargain hunters out there, there’s a golden opportunity to stretch your pounds further. The Money Saving Club newsletter, a favourite among thousands who thrive on catching the best deals, is stepping up its game.
Simply follow the link and select one or more of the following topics to get all the latest deals and advice on: Travel; Property; Pets, family and home; Personal finance; Shopping and discounts; Utilities.
In Milton Keynes, the city council is offering help to households struggling to afford essential items, including school uniforms. How much you can get depends on your personal circumstances, and the council will determine this during an assessment for the support.
Wakefield Council is also distributing a range of support to residents in need through its latest round of the Household Support Fund. This includes supermarket vouchers, which can be used to get money off school uniforms.
Southwark Council in London, is also providing grants to parents with children aged 11 moving from primary to secondary school.The grant is a £45 voucher which can be redeemed in shops.
To be eligible for the vouchers, you must receive a DWP benefit such as Universal Credit or Income Support. Hounslow Council – also in London – is offering payments to eligible households of £60 for secondary school children, and £15 for primary school. Each dependent child in a household receives a separate payment, so if you have two children in primary school and one in secondary, you could get £90.
You should check each council’s website on how you can claim the support. Each local council’s website details its support offerings alongside its eligibility criteria. Usually, they have a separate cost of living tab that details the help on offer. Each council will also have a different application process for the scheme. Some ask you to apply online, while others ask you to apply over the phone. Some councils are also reaching out to those eligible directly.
You can find out who your local council is through the official Gov.uk page here. All you need to do is enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is. Local councils will begin to share what help it will be offering over the next few weeks for this year’s Household Support Fund.
From universal credit to furlough, employment rights, travel updates and emergency financial aid – we’ve got all of the big financial stories you need to know about right now.
Sign up to our Mirror Money newsletter here.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
