Skip to main content
CPAG Welfare Rights Home

User account menu

  • Log in

Utility menu - Welfare Rights

  • CPAG Home
  • Benefit rates
  • Shop
  • Training & events

Main navigation

  • Support for advisers
    • Advice line for advisers
    • Support for advisers in England and Wales
    • Support for advisers in Scotland
    • Tell us about your case
    • AI and the advice sector
  • Handbooks
    • Online handbooks
    • Print handbooks
  • Key topics
    • PIP appeals
    • Universal credit
    • Migration to universal credit
    • Survivors of domestic abuse
    • Benefits for migrants
    • Debt
    • Housing costs
    • Personal independence payment
    • Sanctions and work-related requirements
    • Work capability assessment
  • Tools & templates
    • About our tools and templates
    • Universal credit
    • Migration to universal credit
    • Benefits for migrants
    • Personal independence payment
    • Work capability assessment
    • Revision, supersession and appeal procedure
    • Judicial review
    • All tools and templates
  • Benefits in Scotland
    • Scottish benefits
    • Benefits for people in Scotland
  • Updates & articles
    • Welfare Rights Bulletin
    • Articles
    • Early Warning System updates
    • Updates from CPAG in Scotland
    • Welfare reform
    • What's new for advisers
  • Test cases & caselaw
    • About CPAG test cases
    • Updates on CPAG test cases
    • Support with an Upper Tribunal case
    • Support with the judicial review process
    • Caselaw summaries
Menu
Search

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Welfare rights
  3. Updates

Free school meals and school clothing grant by local authority

Check the qualifying benefits and eligibility criteria for free school meals and school clothing grant in each local authority in Scotland for the 2026/27 school year.

Qualifying benefits for free school meals and school clothing grant by local authority  

Local AuthorityQualifying benefits for 
Free School Meals
Qualifying benefits for 
School clothing grant

Aberdeen City

 

All P1-5

P6-7: Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit 

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit 

Pension credit

Asylum support

Aberdeenshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit 

Asylum support

Angus

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit 

Asylum support

Argyll and Bute

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit

Pension credit

Clackmannanshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,666

Asylum support

 

Dumfries & Galloway

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

P6-7 Scottish child payment

Pension credit

Asylum support

Dundee City

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit

Asylum support

East Ayrshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,560  

Council tax reduction

Housing benefit 

Pension credit

Asylum support

East Dunbartonshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit

Pension credit

Asylum support

East Lothian

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

 

East Renfrewshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit

Edinburgh

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Eileanan Siar

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £2,035

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Falkirk

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,936

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Fife

 

All P1-5

P6-7: Scottish child payment  

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,851

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Glasgow City

 

 

All P1-7

UC earnings limit £995 – also eligible for free breakfast

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit 

Pension credit

Highland

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995 

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

UC earnings limit £995 or

Pension credit 

Asylum support

 

Inverclyde

All P1-7 

UC earnings limit £1,309 

Pension credit

Asylum support

Approved kinship carers

UC earnings limit £1,309

Pension credit

Asylum support

Approved kinship carers

Midlothian

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Moray

 

 

All P1-5

P6-7: Scottish child payment  

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

 

North Ayrshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,954

Pension credit

 

North Lanarkshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

Kinship care, guardianship order or looked after at any point since their second birthday.

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction  

Housing benefit

Pension credit

Orkney Islands

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

Caring for a looked after child

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

Caring for a looked after child

Perth and Kinross

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Renfrewshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction

Housing benefit

Asylum support

Scottish Borders

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995 

Council tax reduction

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

Shetland Islands

 

 

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995 or

UC with housing costs element

Council tax reduction

Housing benefit

Pension credit

Asylum support

Carer for a looked after child

UC earnings limit £995 or 

UC with housing costs element 

Council tax reduction

Housing benefit

Carer for a looked after child

 

South Ayrshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

South Lanarkshire

 

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,660

Council tax reduction 

Housing benefit 

 

Stirling

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

 

UC earnings limit £1,927

Asylum support

 

 

West Dunbartonshire

 

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £1,078.33 

Pension credit

Asylum support

Approved kinship carers or caring for a looked after child

UC earnings limit £1,078.33

Council tax reduction  

Housing benefit

Pension credit 

Asylum support

Approved kinship carers

West Lothian

All P1-5

P6-7 Scottish child payment

UC earnings limit £995

Pension credit

Asylum support

UC earnings limit £1,851

Council tax reduction

Pension credit

Asylum support


 Note that in all local authority areas:

  • A 16-18 year old pupil receiving universal credit in their own right qualifies for free school meals.
  • Pupils attending additional support needs schools qualify for free school meals.
  • Local authorities have discretion to provide free school meals or clothing grants in other exceptional circumstances, such as waiting for first payment of universal credit or having no recourse to public funds.
  • 'Asylum support' means support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

 

Update
Published on
10 August 2026
Relevant to
Scotland,

Advice for advisers

Free, expert advice on benefit and tax credit issues if you’re a frontline adviser or support worker.

Contact the advice line.

  • [email protected]
  • [email protected]

WR Footer

  • Become a subscriber
  • Advice line for advisers
  • Training and events
  • eLearning
  • CPAG shop

CPAG's Advice and Rights Team

  • Follow us on Twitter

© 2026 CPAG | Child Poverty Action Group is a charity registered in England and Wales (registration number 294841) and in Scotland (registration number SC039339)

Company limited by guarantee registered in England (registration number 1993854)

Housekeeping (footer)

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms and conditions
  • Feedback and complaints
Site built by Agile Collective
End Child Poverty Fundraising Regulator badge with validation link
  • Child poverty in the UK
    • Poverty: facts and figures
    • What is poverty?
    • Causes of poverty
    • Effects of poverty
    • Ending child poverty
  • What we do
    • Our objectives
    • Our impact
    • Our work
    • CPAG in Scotland
    • Our campaigns
      • Imagine
      • End child poverty
      • End child poverty in Scotland
      • Scottish Campaign on Rights to Social Security
      • Past campaigns
    • The CPAG team
      • CPAG staff
      • CPAG trustees
      • CPAG's patron and ambassadors
      • CPAG trainers
  • Policy & research
    • Our position
      • The two-child limit: our position
      • The benefit cap: our position
      • Education and income: our position
    • Early Warning System
      • About the Early Warning System
      • Contact the Early Warning System team
      • EWS research, findings and updates
    • Policy briefings and reports
      • The Cost of a Child reports
      • Managed migration research project findings
      • Strengthening Social Security: research into the five family payments
      • Your Work Your Way - findings from the project
      • Secure Futures for Children and Families
      • Universal credit, digitalisation and the rule of law
      • David Webster briefings on benefit sanctions
    • CPAG's Poverty journal
    • Policy books from CPAG
  • Education
    • Schools and school staff
      • Tools
        • Cost of the School Day calendar
          • Cost of the School Day calendar - Autumn term 2026
          • Cost of the School Day calendar - Spring term 2027
          • Cost of the School Day calendar - Summer term 2027
        • England toolkit
        • Wales toolkit / Cymru pecyn cymorth
        • School uniform costs
        • eLearning
      • Ideas from schools
        • Ideas Bank
          • Awareness, values and ethos
            • Understanding poverty in your area
            • Cost of the School Day Information Booklet for Families
            • Nurturing approaches
            • Rebranding support to boost uptake
          • Entitlements and financial support
            • Boosting free school meal uptake
            • Family support staff
            • Offering support and referrals
            • Promoting support
          • School uniform
            • Simple, affordable and inclusive uniform policies
            • School and cluster run uniform banks
            • Providing new uniform and clothing
            • Parent-led uniform stall
          • Eating at school
            • Breakfast clubs
            • Breakfast, breaktimes and lunch
            • Boosting free school meal uptake
          • Consulting and planning
            • Listening to families
            • Parents leading consultation
            • Children consulting their school community
            • Whole school approaches
            • Creating a Cost of the School Day policy with learners
            • Cost of the School Day calendar, created by learners
          • Events, celebrations and fundraising
            • Pre-loved prom initiative
            • Supporting attendance and easing pressure
            • World Book Week in Dundee
            • Non-stigmatising online fundraising
            • Stress-free Halloween celebrations at school
            • Blether Cafe: a pupil led approach to inclusive community fundraising
          • Learners in the lead
            • Cost of the School Day pupil groups
            • Pupils asking parents and carers about costs
            • Young people sharing their views about uniform at the Scottish Parliament
            • Learners take universal free school meal call to the Scottish Parliament
            • Talking directly to politicians about cost barriers at school
            • Cost of the School Day pupil group interview their Headteacher
          • Communicating with families
            • Building relationships and keeping in touch
            • Open and clear written communication about support
            • Communicating commitment to equity
            • Letting everyone know
            • Engaging with partners in the community to share information with families
            • Improved attendance through support and communication
          • Trips, clubs and experiences
            • Funding trips
            • Offering support for trips
          • Learning and resources
            • Digital devices, connectivity and curriculum costs
            • Preparation station
            • After school study cafes
          • Local authority approaches
            • Equity in South Lanarkshire
            • Kit for all, Dundee
            • Financial inclusion support officers in Glasgow
            • Dundee City Council's Cost of the School Day
            • Involving young people in financial inclusion in East Ayrshire schools
            • Cost of the School Day in West Lothian
          • Parental involvement
            • Parents in partnership
            • Parent equality groups
            • Working with parent groups on costs
        • Practice videos
    • Working with young people
      • Youth Voice in England
      • Voice network in Scotland
      • Voice network news and opportunities - Scotland
      • Voice network activities - Scotland
        • Voice network activities - raising awareness
        • Voice network activities - asking everyone about costs
        • Voice network activities - taking action
      • Big Question report and film
      • School Shouldn't Cost: The Young People's Poverty and Education Manifesto 2026-31
    • Education policy and research
  • Welfare rights
    • Support for advisers
      • Advice line for advisers
      • Support for advisers in England and Wales
        • Support with the judicial review process
          • What judicial review is and how it can help
          • Judicial review template letters
            • Guide to using CPAG's judicial review pre-action letter templates
            • Universal credit and migration to universal credit
            • Other benefits and payments
            • Benefits for people in particular circumstances
            • Decisions, delays and challenging decisions
          • Pursuing to court and finding a solicitor
        • Support with an Upper Tribunal case
      • Support for advisers in Scotland
        • Advising low-income families in Scotland
        • Advising disabled people and carers in Scotland
        • Advising migrant groups in Scotland
        • Advising students in Scotland
        • Advising kinship carers in Scotland
        • Advising care-experienced young people in Scotland
        • Advising families with a child in the care system in Scotland
      • Tell us about your case
      • AI and the advice sector
    • Handbooks
      • Online handbooks
      • Print handbooks
    • Key topics
      • PIP appeals
        • Introduction
        • Before you appeal
        • Submitting your appeal
        • Checking the law, facts and evidence
        • Writing the submission for your appeal
        • Your appeal hearing
        • What to do when you get the tribunal's decision
      • Universal credit
        • Universal credit - the basics
        • Universal credit and sanctions
      • Migration to universal credit
      • Survivors of domestic abuse
        • Financial help for families fleeing domestic abuse
        • Unwanted payments of abuser’s benefit into your account
        • Pre-April 2026 exceptions to the two-child limit
        • Work-related requirements if you have recently experienced domestic abuse
        • Separated but living in the same property
        • Value of property and its effect on means-tested benefits
      • Benefits for migrants
      • Debt
      • Housing costs
      • Personal independence payment
      • Sanctions and work-related requirements
      • Work capability assessment
    • Tools & templates
      • About our tools and templates
      • Universal credit
      • Migration to universal credit
      • Benefits for migrants
      • Personal independence payment
      • Work capability assessment
      • Revision, supersession and appeal procedure
      • Judicial review
      • All tools and templates
    • Benefits in Scotland
      • Scottish benefits
        • Children and young people
          • Pregnancy and baby payment
          • Early learning payment
          • School age payment
          • Best start foods
          • Scottish child payment
          • Care leaver payment
          • Residence rules for best start grant
          • Getting a best start grant if you are not getting a qualifying benefit
          • How to challenge a Social Security Scotland decision
        • Disability benefits
          • Child disability payment
          • Supporting information for child disability payment claims: suggestions for education staff
          • Child winter heating payment
          • Adult disability payment
          • Adult disability payment assessment
          • Scottish adult disability living allowance
          • Pension age disability payment
          • How to challenge a disability benefit or carer support decision
        • Help with council tax
          • Council tax reduction
          • Council tax reduction if you live with an adult who is not your partner
          • Council tax reduction if you live in a band E to H property
          • Calculating the working age Scottish council tax reduction
          • Challenging a council tax reduction decision
          • When your council tax reduction starts
          • If you get council tax reduction and your circumstances change
          • Other ways to reduce your council tax bill
        • Benefits for carers
          • Carer support payment
          • Scottish carer supplement
          • Carer additional person payment
          • Young carer grant
        • Help with heating costs
          • Child winter heating payment
          • Winter heating payment
          • Pension age winter heating payment
        • Scottish welfare fund
        • Other Scottish benefits
          • Universal credit Scottish choices
          • Funeral support payment
          • Discretionary housing payments in Scotland
          • Job start payment
      • Benefits for people in Scotland
        • Universal credit
          • Universal credit - the basics
          • Universal credit and students
          • Benefits for lone parent students
          • Kinship carers and universal credit
        • Parents
          • Financial help in the early years
          • Financial help in the school years
          • Financial help for young parents
          • Parents claiming for young people in further education or training
          • Childcare costs: getting support
          • Children looked after by the local authority - impact on family benefits
          • Financial help for families fleeing domestic abuse
          • Universal credit for lone parent students
          • Financial help for families affected by imprisonment
        • Disabled children
          • Benefits for disabled children and their families - a checklist
          • Benefits for disabled students
        • Migrants and refugees
          • Rights to benefits for European nationals
          • EU citizen guide to claiming benefits in the UK
          • Benefits for new refugees
          • Benefits for resettled Afghans
          • Benefits for resettled Ukrainians
          • No recourse to public funds, person subject to immigration control and benefit entitlement
        • Kinship carers
          • Kinship care and benefits – the essentials
          • Scottish child payment and kinship carers
          • Kinship carers and universal credit
        • Students and young people
          • Benefits for students
          • Benefits for care-experienced students
          • Benefits for disabled students
          • Benefits for young people in further education or training
          • Universal credit and students
          • Parents claiming for young people in further education or training
          • Benefits for lone parent students
          • Care-experienced young people and benefits
          • Students and carer support payment
        • Prison and benefits
          • Financial help for families affected by imprisonment
          • Prison and benefits
        • Veterans and benefits
    • Updates & articles
      • Welfare Rights Bulletin
      • Articles
      • Early Warning System updates
      • Updates from CPAG in Scotland
      • Welfare reform
      • What's new for advisers
    • Test cases & caselaw
      • About CPAG test cases
      • Updates on CPAG test cases
      • Support with an Upper Tribunal case
      • Support with the judicial review process
      • Caselaw summaries
  • Get involved
    • Donate
      • Donate in memory
      • Our supporter promise
    • Fundraise
      • Take on a fundraising challenge
        • Child Poverty Action Walk
        • Child Poverty Action Walk 26 resource library
      • Hold a fundraising event
      • Our fundraising heroes
      • Contact the CPAG fundraising team
    • A gift in your will
      • How to leave a gift in your will
      • The impact of your legacy
      • Supporter stories
        • Mike's story
        • Ruth's story
        • Gaynor's story
    • Partner with us
      • Philanthropy
      • Trusts and foundations
      • Companies
      • Law firms
      • Your impact: what you can fund
    • Our campaigns
    • Help our work
      • Share your experience of the benefits system
      • Advisers - tell us about your case
      • Voice network and Youth Voice
    • Membership
  • Benefit rates
  • Shop
  • Training & events
  • Log in
  • CPAG Home