A Guide to Financial Help for Families Starting School

SCHOOL CLOTHING GRANT

Qualifying Benefits

You can get help with the cost of essential school clothes by applying to Glasgow City Council's School Clothing Grant.

This is an annual one-off payment of £120 for each primary age child and £150 for each secondary age child for families who are on a qualifying benefit.

Applications open from the start of July and you can make your application at: www.glasgow.gov.uk/ in the Schools and Learning - Grants and Allowances section.

: Housing Benefit/ Council Tax Reduction (this is not Council Tax single person's discount or student discount)

: Universal Credit with a monthly earned income of not more than £625

: Income Support/Income based Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA) or any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

: Child Tax Credits only (CTC) with an annual income of less than £16,105

: Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit with an annual income of less than £15,050

: Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

BSG - SCHOOL AGE PAYMENT

Qualifying Benefits

This is a one-off payment of £267.65 from Social Security Scotland for each qualifying child of families who are getting a qualifying benefit.

When you need to apply depends on when your child was born. If you're child's date of birth is between 1st March 2017 and 28th February 2018 you can apply between 1st June 2022 and 28th February 2023.

Applications can be made at: www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods or by calling 0800 182 2222

You can get the School Age Payment in addition to the School Cothing Grant from the council, as long as you meet the criteria for them.

: Universal Credit

: Child Tax Credit

: Working Tax Credit

: Housing Benefit

: Pension Credit

: Income Support

: Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

: Income-Related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

SCHOOL MEALS

P1 - P5 currently get free school meals as part of the Scottish Government's 'Early Years Free School Meals Programme'. It's been announced that the extension to P6 & P7 will be delayed until later in the parliamentary term.

Even if you child gets free school meals through this programme, you might still qualify for free school meals through the 'Low Income Scheme'. If you think you will qualify for the low income scheme, it's really important that you still apply for this because it could allow you to qualify for even more financial help from the council during school holidays as well as additional bridging payments of £130 per child.

You can find out more over the page....

SCHOOL MEALS/ BREAKFAST CLUB

Qualifying Benefits

You can get help with school meals through the low income scheme by applying to Glasgow City Council.

You can apply at any time throughout the year, so if your circumstances change through the school term, you can still make an application. You must be getting a qualifying benefit though.

You can make an application at: www.glasgow.gov.uk/

You must be getting free school meals through the low income scheme to qualify for any additional help that may be provided by the council during 2022 school holidays, these are called 'bridging payments' (see page 7).

: Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance

: Both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit with a household income of £7500 or less

: Universal Credit with a monthly earned income of not more than £625

: Child Tax Credit only with an annual income of less than £16,105

: Income related Employment and Support Allowance

: Asylum Seekers with proof of your ARC Card or BAIL201 Letter or Serco Occupancy Agreement

BRIDGING PAYMENTS

The Scottish Child Payment Bridging Payment is four payments of £130 for each child who gets free school meals through the 'low income scheme'.

Glasgow City Council will make the payments in Easter, Summer, October and Christmas in 2022.

If your child gets school meals already through the low income scheme, the payment will be made to you automatically.

If you haven’t already applied through the low income scheme you have to do this to get the payment, even if you meet the criteria for them but you’ve not applied for free school meals, for example because your child gets universal free school meals because they are in P1—P5, or they don’t want to have school meals.

www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-bridging-payments

See page 6 for the qualifing criteria for low income scheme free school meals

SCOTTISH CHILD PAYMENT

Qualifying Benefits

This is a payment of £20 per week from Social Security Scotland for every child you look after who's under the age of 6.

It does not affect any other UK or Scottish Government benefits that you may currently get.

You must be getting certain benefits or tax credits to qualify for the payment.

Applications can be made online at mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment or by phone on 0800 182 2222

: Child Tax Credit

: Income Support

: Pension Credit

: Working Tax Credit

: Universal Credit

: Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

: Income-Related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

HELP WITH CHILDCARE - TAX CREDITS

HELP WITH CHILDCARE - UNIVERSAL CREDIT

If you're currently getting Tax Credits, you may be able to get help with 'relevant childcare costs'. You can get help with up to 70% of your weekly costs to a maximum of:

: £175 per week for one child;
: £300 per week for two or more children

Relevant childcare in Scotland is childcare that is:
: provided by a childcare provider registered by the Care Inspectorate;
: in an out-of-school-hours childcare club registered by the Care Inspectorate;
: provided in the child's home by, or introduced through, a childcare agency, sitter service or nanny agency registered by the Care Inspectorate

To get more information call the Tax Credit helpline on 0345 300 3900

If you're currently getting Universal Credit, you may be able to get help with 'relevant childcare costs'. You can get help with up to 85% of your monthly costs to a maximum of:

: £646.35 per month for one child;
: £1108.04 per month for two or more children

Relevant childcare in Scotland is childcare that is:
: a registered childminder or similar provider of daycare;
: a childcare agency under the Public Services Reform;
: a local authority registered to provide childminding or daycare under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

You can find out more information about this by speaking to UC through your online account or calling UC on 0800 328 5644

HELPFUL WEBSITES / NUMBERS

Glasgow City Council -
Website: www.glasgow.gov.uk/
Phone: 0141 287 2000

Social Security Scotland -
Website: www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/
Phone: 0800 182 2222

Universal Credit -
Website: www.gov.uk/universal-credit
Phone: 0800 328 5644

Tax Credits -
Website: www.gov.uk/manage-your-tax-credits
Phone: 0345 300 3900

Glasgow Advice & Information Network -
Website: www.gain4u.org.uk/
Phone: 0808 801 1011