Apply for school grants
Families on low income can get school grants to help with the cost of lunches and school clothing. The below information is from the City of Edinburgh Council website:
“If you:
- get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction
- meet the conditions for school grants
you may get an automatic award in June each year without the need to apply. In some cases, we’ll need you to confirm your payment details.
Applications are currently open for the 2025-26 school year.
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. In Secondary school this is in the form of money on your child’s canteen account, with which they can purchase food and drink at the school canteen at lunch time (break on Fridays).
- payment for lunches during school holidays
- free milk or healthy snack (primary schools)
- 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.
