Help with buying school uniform
School Clothing Assistance Academic Year 2020/21
If you live in Sandwell, receive one of the benefits listed below and your child will be in reception class or Years 7 to 11 from September 2020 you may qualify for a voucher towards the cost of your child’s school uniform.
Vouchers will not be available to any child in a Nursery class, in School Years 1 to 6 or in School Years 12 to 14.
The voucher contributions available for this year are:
- £20 for a child starting in an eligible reception class school from September 2020 only
- £25 for child at an eligible secondary school in Years 7 to 11 from September 2020 only
It is really important you read the following before applying;
Please Note: If your child attends any of the following Sandwell schools, do not apply for a voucher from Sandwell MBC as you will not qualify for a voucher. You will need to apply to the school directly
- Oldbury Academy
- Ormiston Sandwell Community School
- RSA Academy
- Sandwell Academy
- Shireland Collegiate Academy
- Shireland Technology Primary
- Silvertrees Academy
- Victoria Park Primary Academy
- Health Futures UTC
In addition if you live in the Sandwell borough but your child attends an Academy outside the Sandwell borough you will need to apply directly to that school as you will not qualify for a voucher.
Working Tax Credit
You will not qualify for a school uniform voucher if you receive any amount of Working Tax Credit. Please check your latest tax credit awards notice if you are unsure.
Universal Credit
You will not qualify for a school uniform voucher if your net earned income (after taxes and deductions ‘take home pay’) is above £616 per month under the Universal Credit allowance you receive. This is confirmed on your latest online Universal Credit statement. If your net earned income on your latest statement is above the £616 figure, your application will be refused. It is therefore very important you check your statement before submitting an application.
You must be receiving one of these benefits:
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance (income-based only)
- Universal Credit - with a household net income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get) **
- Child Tax Credit (not including any Working Tax Credit), with an annual income of less than £16,190
- Employment and Support Allowance (income-related only)
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
- Guaranteed Pension Credit (Inc. Child Tax Credit)
** If you are in receipt of Universal Credit you may be asked to provide supporting evidence, for example a copy of your Universal Credit Statement(s)
You must apply before the 31st January 2021 as any applications received after this date will be refused.
Please be aware that you will be required to sign up for a MySandwell account to be able to apply. More details can be found here; mysandwell
PLEASE NOTE: Due to the Education Benefits Team working from alternate locations due to the restrictions in place, we are no longer contactable by telephone until further notice.