Every child in P1 to P7 at a Glasgow City Council school gets a free school lunch, whatever the family income. The School Clothing Grant is £120 for a primary-aged child and £150 for a secondary-aged child, paid once a year to families on a qualifying benefit. You apply for both on one online form through MyAccount. The latest payment the council has announced is the October 2026 holiday payment of £12.50 a child, paid from Friday 9 October 2026 to families whose children get free school meals because of a qualifying benefit.
Last checked: 26 October 2026.
Most of this comes from Glasgow City Council’s own Clothing Grants/Free School Meals page and its 2026/27 application guidance for parents and carers. Where a figure is national rather than Glasgow’s, we say so.
Free school meals in Glasgow
The council says all children in P1 to P7 are automatically entitled to a free school lunch. It calls this “universal entitlement”. You don’t need to apply for it.
That’s a bit wider than the national rule. The Scottish Government’s mygov.scot page says free lunches are universal for P1 to P5, with P6 and P7 depending on benefits. In Glasgow the council page says P1 to P7, so use that.
A few things are different once you look past the lunch:
- Breakfast. Glasgow primary schools offer breakfast each day, but getting a universal lunch doesn’t mean a free breakfast. For a free breakfast you must have filled in a free school meals application and be financially eligible.
- P1 starters. If your child has just started P1, they aren’t enrolled for free school meals automatically. Apply if you think you qualify and haven’t already.
- Not entitled? The council charges £2 a day. For brothers and sisters, the oldest pays £2 and each younger child pays £1.
- Secondary pupils and beyond P7. Free meals depend on the benefits you get. Check the table below before you apply.
New applications are processed as soon as possible. If you’re eligible, your child should get free school meals within four weeks.
The school clothing grant
The grant is £120 for a primary-aged child and £150 for a secondary-aged child. The council gives it once a year to families on a qualifying benefit, to help with the cost of school clothing.
£120 and £150 are also the national baseline amounts on mygov.scot, so Glasgow’s figures match it. That page was last updated in June 2022, so check it if you want the national picture. It says who can apply depends on your local council, which is why the benefit list below is Glasgow’s.
If you’re eligible, the council says the grant is paid automatically. The council page doesn’t print a single payment date for the clothing grant. It says new applicants are paid within 4 weeks of the council getting a fully complete application, and that missing information can delay it.
For a child starting P1, they must be enrolled at their school before a grant can be paid. In the summer some enrolments are still being processed, which can delay the payment. Once the enrolment goes through, the payment is issued.
Who qualifies
Your child needs to go to a school run by Glasgow City Council, and you need to get one of these benefits. Clothing grant applications are for primary-aged children and above.
| Benefit you get | What it can get you |
|---|---|
| Income Support | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Income-related Employment and Support Allowance | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Pension Credit | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Support under V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Universal Credit, earned income reported by your employer of £885 or less | Free meals, holiday payment, clothing grant |
| Universal Credit, earned income of £885 to £995 | Free meals and clothing grant, but no holiday payment |
| Housing Benefit | Clothing grant only |
| Council Tax Reduction | Clothing grant only |
Two notes from the council. The housing element of Universal Credit is not Housing Benefit. And a single person’s discount, a student deduction or an exemption isn’t Council Tax Reduction, so those don’t count.
Being entitled to the clothing grant doesn’t mean you get free school meals. The criteria are different, and you only get both if you meet both. Not sure if you get Council Tax Reduction? Our Council Tax Reduction guide explains it.
Proof the council asks for:
- Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA and Pension Credit: a letter confirming you get the benefit.
- Universal Credit: your full Universal Credit statement, all pages.
- Housing Benefit: a current letter showing you get it.
- Council Tax Reduction: a current letter showing you get it.
- Asylum support: a confirmation letter with a valid ARC and tenancy agreement.
Holiday payments
The council pays extra money to families whose children get free school meals because of a qualifying benefit, for P1 to S6. It’s paid four times a year: the Easter break, the Summer break, the October break and the Winter break.
October 2026: the payment is £12.50 for each child. It’s paid from Friday 9 October 2026, straight into the bank account the council holds. If you already get free school meals and still qualify, you don’t need to contact the council or apply again.
- If you didn’t get the payment for all your children, send in a new application form.
- Applications received after 18 October 2026 that meet the criteria get free school meals, but not the October payment.
- Children who get a universal P1 to P7 lunch only get the payment if the family is financially eligible. A free lunch on its own doesn’t bring the money.
- Children who started P1 in August 2026 weren’t entitled to the summer payment. The council says it was for current pupils only.
- Nursery and early years pupils aren’t covered.
The council page doesn’t print a date for the Winter break payment, or an amount for it. As of 26 October 2026 it hasn’t been announced on the page we read. We’ll update this page when the council puts it up. You can also check the council’s Clothing Grants/Free School Meals page, which was last changed on 29 September 2026.
How to apply
You apply online, and you need a MyAccount first. The council says MyAccount is run by the Scottish Government, not Glasgow City Council. You make one account and use it for lots of council services. Your account should be in your own name with your details up to date, because the form fills in a lot from it.
- Go to the council’s free school meals and clothing grant application and choose Sign in/Register.
- Contact details. If it’s your first application this school year, answer No to the question about updating details. Check the pre-filled details and add your contact number.
- Verification. You can agree to the council checking your income on its trusted systems. If you say No, you’ll have to upload evidence of your benefits. You need your National Insurance number, and you say whether you live with a partner. If you’re an asylum seeker, put AS in the National Insurance field.
- Bank details. Payment is made by Bacs into your bank account, so check the sort code and account number. Asylum seekers without a bank account can leave this blank.
- Your benefits. Tick every one that applies. If you get both Council Tax Reduction and Universal Credit, tick both.
- Your children. Put in the child’s details, not your own. Choose primary, secondary or ASL school. If your child is moving up to secondary, the guidance says to pick the secondary school and S1. You can add more children.
- Evidence. Upload your proof. Screenshots from your phone are fine.
- Declaration. Read it and press Send form.
The council’s guidance says to allow up to 4 weeks for payment, and that you’ll get an email confirming your request.
Universal Credit statement: the council says the application won’t succeed without it. It needs to show your name and address, the date, a breakdown of the payment (housing and child elements, take-home pay), the full deductions section and the total payment for the month.
Asylum seekers: you need an Application Registration Card (ARC), a BAIL201 letter or a Serco tenancy agreement.
Changed bank details or have more proof to send? If you’ve already applied this year, answer Yes to the first question on the form and it takes you to the online enquiry form. The council can’t take bank details over the phone. Tell the council about any change in your circumstances, because it can affect what you’re entitled to.
The council’s own application guidance for 2026/27 (PDF) has screenshots of each step.
Contact the council
The council page doesn’t print a phone number for free school meals or the clothing grant, so we haven’t given one. These are the routes it does print:
- The online enquiry form.
- Live chat, bottom right of the council page, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.
For help beyond this, the council points to its Council Tax and Benefit page and to Glasgow Helps, for anyone who needs “a wee bit of help”.
Other help worth checking
- Scottish Child Payment. A weekly payment from Social Security Scotland for eligible children up to 16. The council says to apply as soon as you can, because delaying may mean you lose out. You can apply on mygov.scot or call Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222. That number is for the Scottish Child Payment only, not school meals.
- ApparelXchange. A Glasgow social enterprise selling preloved children’s clothing, including school uniform, cheaply. The council page says it also offers free clothing packages to families in need. See ApparelXchange.
- Best Start Grant school age payment. The council links to it from its page. Details are on mygov.scot.
- In a crisis. Our Scottish Welfare Fund guide covers crisis grants and community care grants.
- Tight on money generally. Our cost of living guide has the wider picture.
If you’re still working out school dates or which school your child goes to, see Glasgow school holidays and school catchment areas.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets free school meals in Glasgow?
All children in P1 to P7 get a free lunch at school. Beyond P7, it depends on the benefits you get. Check the table above and apply if you think you qualify.
How much is the Glasgow school clothing grant?
£120 for a primary-aged child and £150 for a secondary-aged child, once a year, for families on a qualifying benefit.
How much is the free school meal holiday payment?
The October 2026 payment is £12.50 for each child. The council says holiday payments are made four times a year, at Easter, summer, October and winter. It only prints the amount for October.
When is the next free school meals payment in Glasgow?
The council hasn’t announced a date for the next one, the Winter break payment, on its page as of 26 October 2026. The last one announced was paid from Friday 9 October 2026.
Is there a Glasgow free school meals summer payment?
Yes, the summer break is one of the four payment times. Children who started P1 in August 2026 weren’t entitled to the summer payment, because it was for current pupils only.
When is the school clothing grant paid?
The council doesn’t print a payment date. Eligible families are paid automatically. New applicants are paid within 4 weeks of the council getting a fully complete application.
Do I need to apply every year?
The council says you don’t need to make a new application for each holiday payment if you already get free school meals and still qualify. For the clothing grant, the guidance asks if it’s your first application this school year, and the council says eligible families who meet the criteria are paid automatically. If you’re not sure, use the enquiry form.
What is the Glasgow free school meals contact number?
The council doesn’t print one on its free school meals and clothing grant page. Use the online enquiry form or the live chat, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. The council can’t take bank details by phone.
Can I get free school meals and the clothing grant at the same time?
Not necessarily. They have different criteria. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction can qualify you for the clothing grant but not for free school meals.
Does a free P1 to P7 lunch mean I get the holiday payment?
No. The holiday payment only goes to families who are financially eligible, meaning they were awarded free school meals because they get a qualifying benefit.
My child has just started P1. What do I do?
Apply for free school meals if you think you qualify, as they won’t be enrolled automatically. Your child also has to be enrolled at their school before a clothing grant can be paid.
I changed my bank account. What now?
Tell the council straight away through the online enquiry form, so your payment isn’t delayed. It can’t take bank details over the phone.
