Thousands of parents could be entitled to hundreds of pounds to help with school uniforms and equipment from this week. The Welsh Government is offering the money to eligible parents as part of its School Essentials Grant, which opened on Monday, July 3.
Previously known as the PDG Access Grant, the grant has been cut by £100 from last year. See more on the reaction to that decision here. It provides funding for costs associated with going to school, such as buying uniform, sports kit and equipment. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles announced the opening of the scheme on Monday, saying it would "help to reduce the financial burden placed on families when buying school uniform and equipment." It comes after Mr Miles said logos on uniforms should not be compulsory back in May, when the Welsh Government said schools needed to work to make uniforms cheaper for families.
There are a number of criteria you need to satisfy in order to be eligible for the grant, so here is everything you need to know about whether you qualify and how to apply. To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
What do I get as part of the School Essentials Grant?
Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can apply for a grant of:
- £125 per learner
- £200 for learners entering year seven (to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school)
All compulsory school years from reception to year 11 are now eligible. All looked after children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not. Learners who receive free school meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify. Families are only entitled to claim once per child per school year.
The 2023 to 2024 scheme is now open and will close on May 31, 2024. To apply for this grant please contact your local authority. The Welsh Government website has a tool that allows you to find your local authority and gives a direct link to your council's website where you can apply for the grant. You can find that tool here.
How do I know if I qualify for the grant?
According to the Welsh Government website, the qualifying benefits for the grant are the same as those for households that qualify for free school meals. They are as follows:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Guarantee element of pension credit
- Child tax credit (provided the parent isn’t entitled to working tax credit and has an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working tax credit run-on - paid for four weeks after a claimant stops qualifying for
- Working tax credit
- to 31 March 31, 2019, universal credit
- from 1 April 1, 2019, universal credit, provided the household has an annualised net earned income of no more than £7,400 (as assessed by earnings from up to three of their most recent assessment periods).
