School uniform financial support only offered in city and not rest of county

Some parents in the city will be offered financial support to help towards the cost of school uniforms while those in the county will not be eligible for the same support unless under “exceptional circumstances”. Nottingham City Council is offering a school clothing allowance for pupils in primary and secondary school who are in academic years reception, one, four, seven nine and 11.

If your child lives in the city of Nottingham and attends a school in the city you will be eligible for the support, only if you receive one of a number of benefits such as income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance or the guarantee element of pension credit. Other benefits eligible for the scheme include child tax credit, support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and universal credit, although income thresholds do apply.

However, for anyone outside Nottingham, Nottinghamshire County Council does not offer financial help towards school clothing apart from in exceptional circumstances – which include a family who have lost their clothes in a flood or a fire.

Branded uniform change could cost some parents hundreds of pounds – read more here.

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire County Council said: “School clothing allowances are discretionary and are no longer available to families living within Nottinghamshire except in exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances means families who have lost clothes in a fire, a flood, theft, have been made homeless or are fleeing domestic violence.

“If parents consider their circumstances to meet one of these exceptional cases a request can be made to the Senior Professional Practitioners, Admissions and FSM Service. There is no guarantee that a request will be approved.”

You may be eligible for financial help from the council, however, to go towards travel costs or school meals – to find out if you are, click here. The government advises parents to contact their school directly if their local authority does not offer them financial aid.

How much is available for each child for parents in the city?

Full list of eligible benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• the guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit including the Working Tax Credit element and your annual income does not exceed £16,190 as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Universal Credit, income thresholds apply

Anyone who wishes to apply for the allowance can complete an online application form and either send it to Nottingham City Council by post or ask their children’s school to email the authority on their behalf. For more information, please click here.

Read more here: