Families struggling with the cost of school uniforms are facing a postcode lottery for financial help, as new analysis reveals only 22 local authorities in England offer dedicated grants.
School uniform grants are provided by all councils in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but it is not a statutory requirement in England. This means councils in England are not required by law to offer support. For the councils that do provide help, the eligibility criteria also varies widely, but normally you need to be on a low income or claiming benefits.
Analysis of council support
New analysis by free money advice service Money Wellness found that only 22 local authorities in England offer a school uniform grant, while a further seven only provide help in exceptional circumstances. Money Wellness reviewed all 153 local councils in England. If a local authority does not offer support, residents may be able to get help through the Government's Crisis and Resilience Fund instead.
The average cost of a secondary school uniform is now an estimated £442, while primary school uniform costs £343. Research by The Children's Society found that 38% of parents struggled with uniform costs last year.
New rules on branded items
The findings come as separate Money Wellness research found that almost half (48%) of parents were unaware that primary schools in England will only be able to require a maximum of three branded uniform items from September 2026. Secondary schools can require up to four items if one of them is a tie.
Adam Rolfe, Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Money Wellness, said: “For many families, buying school uniform is one of the biggest expenses of the year, yet the help available depends almost entirely on your postcode. Some councils offer dedicated school uniform grants, others provide support through local welfare schemes, while in many areas families may not realise help is available unless they actively look for it.
"If you're worried about the cost of uniforms, don't assume there's no support. Even if your council no longer offers a dedicated school uniform grant, you may still be able to get help through its Crisis and Resilience Fund or other local welfare assistance schemes. It's always worth checking before turning to borrowing."
Full list of councils offering school uniform grants
The following councils offer grants, with amounts: Barnet - £100; Barnsley - £100; Bolton - £30; Brent - £100; City of London - £160; Cumberland - £100; Greenwich - £150; Hackney - £100; Hammersmith & Fulham - £79; Haringey - £60; Hounslow - £60; Hull - £50; Islington - £150; North Lincolnshire - £30; Rotherham - £70; Sandwell - £25; Southwark - £45; Tower Hamlets - £150; Westminster - £150; Wandsworth - £170; Westmorland & Furness - £100; York - £100.
