01/05/2026
School Uniform Grant 2026 Criteria
Applications will be made online and a link to apply will be added to the bottom of this webpage when the grant is open for applications.
The grant will be open for 24 hours from 12 noon on 27 May 2026 and close at 12 noon on 28 May 2026.
Please ensure that you read the below to check you are eligible for the grant, as well as what further information you will need to hand to be able to apply.
Applicants must:
· Be a UNISON member and have paid at least four weeks’ subscriptions as of 27 May 2025. Subscriptions must be up to date.
· Not have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 27 November 2025, excluding the Winter Essentials Grant or the Step into Spring Grant.
· Be financially responsible for school-aged child(ren) and receiving Child Benefit for them**. By school-aged, we mean children aged between 4 and 17 years old, who will be returning to school in the autumn.
And EITHER:
Be on a low income, meaning a net household income* of no more than £28,205/year (£2,350.42/month).
OR:
Be in receipt of means-tested benefits. This includes:
· Universal Credit
· Housing Benefit
· Child and/or Working Tax Credits
· Pension Credit
· Means-tested Employment Support Allowance
* Net household income includes your monthly take-home pay from work (plus your partner’s, if you have one), any income from child maintenance payments, any income from student finance loans or bursaries, pensions (excluding Pension Credit), income from savings and any income from people living with you (e.g. adult children or lodgers).
** Where members either have no recourse to public funds and their household income is above £28,205/year an assessment will be undertaken to see whether they would be eligible for benefits if they did have recourse to public funds so that they are not disadvantaged.
What can I get help with?
We can help with a one-off, non-repayable grant of £75 per school-aged child which will be paid in the form of a voucher. We want to make this fund go as far as possible and help as many members as we can. Please only apply if you are in financial difficulty.
How do I apply?
All applications should be made online. Make sure you have your membership number to hand. Eligible members will be chosen at random from the applicant pool and
contacted to submit supporting documents. Due to limited funds and in anticipation of high demand, we regret that we will not be able to help all members who apply.
If you are unable to complete the application online due to an accessibility need, please contact us on 27 May 2026, either by email: [email protected] or by calling UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857.
What if I don’t know my membership number?
We cannot accept applications without a membership number. This can often be found at the bottom of any emails you have received from UNISON. Alternatively, please contact UNISONdirect on 0800 0 857 857.
How will you contact me?
Acknowledgement
Successful online submissions will receive an automated message confirming your application has been received. If this doesn’t show in your ‘inbox’, please check your ‘junk/spam’ folders.
Processing time
We will require further evidence to support your application, and we will be in touch via email to request this within a week of your initial application.
You should not expect to receive an immediate decision. It could take up to 12 weeks before your application will be completed. Please do not send chasing emails as we will be unable to respond.
If I have recently received a grant, can I apply?
If you have received a grant from UNISON Welfare since 27 November 2025, excluding the Winter Essentials Grant or the Step into Spring Grant, you will not be eligible to apply for a School Uniform Grant.
The grant will open at 12 noon on 27 May 2026 for 24 hours.
Any questions? Contact us via email: [email protected]
For an overview of all There for You services please visit: There for You (UNISON Welfare) | Member support and services | UNISON National
