Clothing Grants

A Clothing Grant is available to help low-income families with the cost of the school clothing and footwear.

Grant Amounts (2025/26)

Shetland's award levels are higher than the Scottish Government's national minimum of £120 for primary pupils and £150 for secondary pupils:

• Early Years:  £150
• Primary:  £180
• Secondary:  £225  

Note:

Pupils who turn 16 on or before 30th September will not be eligible for a Clothing Grant, but should instead apply for an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). They may still receive Free School Meals if they meet the criteria.

Free School Meals

A Free School Meal is a school lunch provided at no cost to eligible children.

Universal Free School Meals (No Application Needed)

The Scottish Government provides free school meals to:

• All pupils in Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), including Entitled 2's
• All pupils in Primary 1 to Primary 5

(This universal offer is Scotland-wide and automatic)

Children attending ELC or P1-P5 do not need to apply to receive universal meals.

Reimbursement for Schools With No Meal Provision 

If a child attends Early Years or P1-P5 in a setting with no catering provision (Fair Isle Primary School or Foula Primary School), families can receive reimbursement based on the daily meal rate for each day of attendance.

Why You Should Still Apply (Important)

If you meet the income-based eligibility criteria, you should still apply even if your child receives universal meals.

This ensures your school receives Scottish Government funding that is linked to the number of children registered for free school meals.

Income-Based Free School Meals (Application Required)

These apply to:

• P6-S6 pupils; and 
• Early Years or P1-P5 children whose families qualify on income grounds

Eligibility Criteria

Shetland Islands Council has extended the national criteria to allow more families to qualify.  

You may qualify for Clothing Grants, Free School Meals, and Free School Milk if you receive one or more of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income related Employment Support Allowance
• Universal Credit - household take-home pay less than £850 per month
• Universal Credit - Housing Element
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction (not including Single Person Discount)
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
• The child is in the care of the Local Authority
• P6 to S3 only:  Scottish Child Payment (FSM award only).  The extension to S1-S3 aligns with a national pilot activity.

Young People Aged 16-18

Pupils aged 16-18 receiving qualifying benefits in their own right may apply for Free School Meals.

Exceptional Circumstances

If you do meet any of the criteria but are facing financial hardship, please phone 01595 743844 to discuss your situation confidentially.

How to Apply

Applications for the 2025/26 school year are now open.

Apply online:

Clothing Grant and Free School Meal Application Form - Apply Now

Payments

• Payments for Primary and Secondary pupils will begin Friday 25 July 2025, and will then be made weekly as applications are fully processed.
• Payments for Early Years children will only be made once the child has started or returned to their ELC setting in August.
• All payments are made via BACS to your nominated bank account.

Application Deadlines

• 31 July 2025 - Apply by this date to ensure continuation of Free School Meals after the summer holidays.
• 31 October 2025 - Applications received after this date will not be backdated.
• 20 March 2025 - Final date for submitting Clothing Grant applications.

Supporting Evidence

You must upload or email supporting evidence when submitting your application.

Provide one of the following:

• Your most recent Universal Credit statement
• A letter from Social Security Scotland confirming Scottish Child Payment, or a bank statement showing 'SSS SCP'

If you cannot provide the above, include both:

• One of the following:
  • A recent DWP benefits letter
  • A letter confirming Income‑based JSA
  • Confirmation of current NASS support
• Proof that you receive Child Benefit for each child on the application

Evidence can be uploaded with your application or emailed to:  

childrensservices-finance@shetland.gov.uk

Clear mobile phone pictures are acceptable, but original documents may be requested.