Free school meals and clothing allowance

We provide free school meals and clothing allowances to families on low incomes. You can apply for both using a single application form, which covers all children in your family even if they attend different schools in Orkney.

You must submit a fresh application each academic year. Applications are not backdated, so please apply as early as possible. If you are unable to apply online, contact us and we will send you a paper form.

Free School Meals

A free school meal is a school lunch provided at no cost to eligible families.

All nursery children aged two and over are automatically entitled to a free school meal when they attend their setting over the middle of the day.

All children in Primary 1 to 5 are also automatically entitled to a free school meal. However, if you meet the eligibility criteria below and have a child in P1 to P5, you should still apply - your child's school receives additional funding through the Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) for every pupil registered for free school meals. This funding helps schools support children who face barriers to learning.

Clothing Allowance

The clothing allowance is a grant to help with the cost of clothing and footwear, paid once per academic year. Current allowances are £120 for primary pupils and £150 for secondary pupils. Clothing allowances are not available for nursery or pre-school children.

Am I eligible?

You can apply for free school meals and/or a clothing allowance if you receive any of the following:

• Universal Credit, where your monthly earned income is under £995
• Income Support or Pension Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Any income-related element of Employment and Support Allowance (contributions-based ESA is not accepted)
• Scottish Child Payment - this covers free school meals for P6 and P7 pupils only, and does not qualify for a clothing allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

If you are aged 16 to 18 and receive any of these benefits in your own right, you can apply for free school meals and a clothing allowance for yourself. Please note that clothing allowances for pupils beyond statutory school leaving age will not be awarded until after the summer break, once we have confirmed with the school that they have returned for further study.

You may also be eligible if you are caring for a looked after child in residential care, foster care or kinship care.

This criteria may be subject to change.

Applying

Applications can be submitted at any point during the school year. Please be aware that between June and September we receive a high volume of applications and processing can take up to four weeks. If you have not received your notification letter within that time, please get in touch.

Once we have processed your completed application - including any supporting evidence required - we will notify your child's school of their entitlement.

Contact us

If you have any questions or need help completing your application, please get in touch with the Education Grants team.