Help With School Costs in Wales: Grants, Free Meals & More
School costs can creep up fast, and if you’re not sure what help with school costs is out there, it’s easy to miss money you’re entitled to. This page pulls together all the financial support available to families in Wales, from cash grants for uniforms and kit bags to free meals, free digital tools and help with water bills. Work through each section to see what applies to you.
1. School Essentials Grant: up to £200 for uniforms and kit
The School Essentials Grant (also called PDG Access or the uniform grant) is a Welsh Government cash payment to help families on lower incomes cover the cost of things children actually need for school. It covers uniform, sports kit, school bags, stationery, activity uniforms (scouts, guides, dance), outdoor learning kit and laptops or tablets where the school can’t loan one.
The grant is worth £125 per eligible child, rising to £200 for children starting Year 7. It’s available to families on Universal Credit, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and several other qualifying benefits. You apply through your local council, not directly through the Welsh Government.
Already getting Universal Primary Free School Meals? That doesn’t automatically qualify your child for this grant. You still need to apply for means-tested Free School Meals (eFSM) separately to unlock it.
Check if you qualify for the School Essentials Grant
2. Free School Meals
There are two separate schemes for free school meals in Wales, and it’s worth understanding both.
Universal Primary Free School Meals
All children in full-time primary school in Wales automatically get a free meal every school day during term time. You don’t need to apply and it doesn’t depend on your income. This applies to every primary pupil regardless of family circumstances.
Eligible Free School Meals (eFSM)
This is the income-based version, available to families on certain benefits. It matters beyond just the meal itself, because registering for eFSM also unlocks the School Essentials Grant and means your child’s school receives extra Welsh Government funding (the Pupil Premium Grant). Secondary school pupils who qualify also receive a free meal through this route.
You may be eligible for eFSM if you receive Universal Credit (with household net income under £7,400), Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit (with income under £16,190 and not receiving Working Tax Credit), Pension Credit, or support under the Immigration and Asylum Seekers Act.
If you have shared custody and only one parent is on a qualifying benefit, the eligible parent applies. You only need to apply once, and the school is notified automatically if your application is successful.
Free Breakfast Clubs
All maintained primary schools in Wales can offer a free breakfast club. Children are supervised and can choose from cereal, toast, fruit juice or milk before the school day starts. If your child’s school doesn’t currently run one, you or other parents can ask the headteacher and governing body to set one up, and the local authority must provide it unless it considers this unreasonable.
Contact your child’s primary school directly to find out if they run a breakfast club and what time it opens. Schools cannot charge for the free breakfast itself, though some offer separate paid childcare before the session starts.
3. Free school transport
Your child may be entitled to free transport to school if they live far enough away and attend their nearest or designated school. The general rules across Wales are:
- Primary school: free transport if your child lives more than 2 miles from their nearest school
- Secondary school: free transport if your child lives more than 3 miles from their nearest school
Distance is measured by the shortest safe walking route, not as the crow flies. Children with Additional Learning Needs, looked-after children, and children in certain other circumstances may be eligible regardless of distance. If you apply to a school that isn’t your nearest, transport costs are usually your responsibility. Check with your local council before deciding which school to apply for.
4. Uniform exchanges
Many schools run second-hand uniform shops or swap schemes, often through the PTA. It’s always worth asking the school office whether they have a uniform exchange, as it can save a significant amount on the start-of-year kit list. Local Facebook community groups and Vinted are also popular for barely-worn school uniform at a fraction of the price.
In Swansea, GROW Cymru runs the ABC123 project in partnership with the council, collecting donated uniforms, laundering them and selling them at low cost from their town centre premises. Contact them on 01792 712888 or email info@growcymru.org.uk.
Apply through your local council
Applications for the School Essentials Grant, free school meals and school transport are all managed by your local council. Choose your area below for direct application links and local contact details.
5. Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) for 16 to 18 year olds
If your child is staying in education or training after GCSEs, they may be entitled to the Education Maintenance Allowance, a £40 per week payment from the Welsh Government to help with the cost of continuing in education or training.
Payments are made every two weeks as long as your child meets their school or college’s attendance requirements.
Who can apply?
- Aged 16, 17 or 18 on or before 31 August of the relevant year
- Living in Wales
- Studying a full-time academic or vocational course at an eligible school or college (GCSEs, A-Levels, BTECs, NVQs and similar)
- At college: minimum 12 guided hours per week on a course lasting at least 10 weeks
Household income thresholds
- £23,400 or less if your child is the only young person in the household
- £25,974 or less if there is more than one young person in the household
EMA is not available if your child is on a publicly funded work-based learning programme such as an apprenticeship.
Apply for EMA on Student Finance Wales
6. Free Microsoft 365 for all learners in Wales (via Hwb)
Every learner in a maintained school in Wales has a free Hwb account, which includes a free Microsoft 365 licence. That means access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, Outlook and Minecraft Education on up to 5 computers, 5 tablets and 5 smartphones at home.
To install it at home, log into hwb.gov.wales, go to Microsoft 365, click Apps, then Install apps, and follow the instructions. Your child will need their Hwb username and password.
7. Free library access and reading resources
All public libraries in West Wales offer free membership, free book borrowing, free internet access, and access to a growing range of digital resources including eBooks, audiobooks and research tools. A library card is one of the most genuinely useful (and free) resources for school-age children.
Find your nearest West Wales library
8. Free Welsh language lessons
Learn Welsh Cymru offers free Welsh language courses for adults at all levels, from complete beginners through to advanced. Courses run during the day and in the evenings, in face-to-face and virtual formats. There are also specific programmes including Welsh at Home (for parents learning alongside young children), Welsh for Young People, and courses aimed at the education workforce.
From September, a new e-learning resource for 16 to 18 year olds in school, college or apprenticeships is being piloted to improve oral Welsh skills.
Find Welsh language courses near you
9. Free literacy and numeracy support
The National Literacy Trust’s Words for Life portal offers a comprehensive range of free home-learning activities grouped by age, covering reading, writing and language development.
Free resources on Words for Life
Schools across Wales also use the Catch Up® programme for children aged 6 to 14 who are struggling with literacy or numeracy. It’s a one-to-one structured intervention delivered by a trained adult in 15-minute sessions twice a week. If you’re concerned about your child’s reading or numeracy, ask their school whether they have a trained Catch Up® practitioner.
10. Help with your water bill if you’re on free school meals
If your child receives means-tested free school meals, you may also qualify for Welsh Water’s HelpU tariff, which caps your annual water and sewerage bill. For 2026/27 the cap is £350.16 (£134.72 water, £215.44 sewerage).
To qualify, someone in the household must be receiving a means-tested benefit (including Universal Credit, Income Support, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction), and the combined household income must be below the threshold for your household size:
- 1 person: up to £12,600
- 2 people: up to £19,000
- 3 or more people: up to £20,000
You need to reapply each year. Contact Welsh Water directly to apply or check eligibility.
Want to go straight to the school uniform cash grant? Our full School Essentials Grant Wales guide covers eligibility in detail, what the money can be spent on, and how to apply in your area.