Help with school costs

Support for low income families

West Lothian pupils living in a low income household could be entitled to extra help.

Parents can apply for a payment of up to £110 to help towards the cost of a school uniform, through West Lothian Council’s School Clothing Grant scheme.

A payment of £ 94 could be provided to help parents/carers with the costs of school uniforms for P1 to P7 primary school pupils and £110 for secondary school pupils from S1 to S4, and some S5 pupils depending on their date of birth.

To qualify parents/carers must be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as Income Support, Income Related Employment Support Allowance or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance, or be in receipt of Working or Child Tax Credits, providing the household’s annual income is £16,105 or less. Free school meals are also available for children and young people whose family is in receipt of Child Tax Credit or, in receipt of both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit – taxable income must not exceed £6420. West Lothian Council provides a free breakfast to all pupils in primary schools who want it.

Breakfast is also free to those entitled to free school meals in secondary schools.

In secondary schools, pupils entitled to free school meals will have a breakfast provision allowance included on their National Entitlement Card (NEC)/Young Scot Card. All other secondary pupils can purchase the same breakfast for 55p. Education Maintenance Allowance ( EMA) of £ 30 per week is also available to help students to stay on at school, and is payable depending on the household income which is assessed in the same way as for Tax Credits provided by HM Revenue & Customs.

Students estranged from parents or in care of West Lothian Council can also be paid. If the applying student is the only dependent child in the household – taxable income must not exceed £24,421, or if there is more than one dependent child in the household – taxable income must not exceed £26,884. Contact West Lothian Advice Shop on 01506 283000 ( and select option 4) for further information and details on how to apply.