The Grant Scheme

The Welsh Assembly Government has introduced a scheme offering financial assistance to certain parents on low income towards the purchase of school uniform for their children when they move from primary to secondary school. Carmarthenshire County Council (LA) administers the Scheme on its behalf.

The grant is to provide assistance towards the cost of purchasing articles deemed to be suitable to be worn as school uniform by the relevant school governing body. It shall be the responsibility of the parent to establish which items of uniform are acceptable to the school.

Eligibility for Grant

Pupils entering Year 7 in a maintained school in Carmarthenshire and with an existing eligibility for free school meals qualify for the grant. Where pupils move to a school maintained by a different authority, the application will need to be made to the maintaining authority for that secondary school.

Accordingly, children of families currently in receipt of one of the following benefits will be eligible:

• Income Support
• Job Seekers Allowance Income Based
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit (but DO NOT receive Working Tax Credit) and with an annual income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) which does not exceed £16,190
• Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IR)

Dates for Receiving Applications

Eligibility for the grant will be judged at the time of application. Families are able to apply to local authorities for the grant from 1st July 2011 for the 2011/12 school year.

The grant conditions include a cut off date of 31st October for Local Authorities to receive applications but allow Local Authorities discretion to accept applications up to 31st January 2011 from families of eligible pupils moving into Wales or from families of relevant pupils recently becoming eligible for free school meals.

Amount of Grant

The Grant for each eligible pupil has been set at £105.00

Form of Payment
Payment will be made by means of cheque. Numerous retailers throughout the County have agreed to accept these cheques.

The Local Authority will make the grant payments before the end of the Summer Holiday to enable families to purchase school uniform before the start of the new school year in September.