Parents are having to spend increasingly more money to buy school uniforms for their kids.

It is estimated that there has been a £15 increase on last year's uniform costs, and on average parents will need to spend £189.29 per child.

This amount - which takes into account uniforms and other necessary costs - is according to the annual Nationwide Credit Cards Back to School survey, reports the Mirror .

But did you know that you could entitled to some money to help you with these costs?

The School Clothing Grant is part of the Education Act 1980 and is offered by the government to help low-income families with their school costs.

This could be a big help to a lot of families

It's not a statutory duty, so not all councils will offer it, but if you do qualify, you can get up to £150 to help with uniform expenses, including PE kits.

To be eligible, you have to be earning less than £16,190 a year and be in receipt of one of the listed benefit schemes.

The Education Act stipulates that local authorities must make provision for the clothing of pupils that would otherwise be unable to afford schoolwear - however it's not compulsory.

The amount you can claim - if your council offers it - will depend on your local authority and their budget/allowance, but as a general rule, grants are available for people on a range of benefits including job seeker's allowance, income-related employment or support under the national asylum seekers support system (Nass).

To apply, you'll have to enter your postcode into the Gov.uk page for school uniform support .

Once you've located your council, you'll also be directed to other types of support you might qualify for around 'education and learning' such as travel relief, free school meals and help with childcare .

It's worth noting that the scheme won't be applicable if your child is enrolled at an academy as these are independently-run.

To claim a grant you must be receiving one of the following benefits:

  • Income support
  • Job seeker's allowance (income based)
  • Child tax credit - provided you are not entitled to working tax credit
  • Employment Support allowance (ESA)
  • State pension - this benefit must be your sole source of income
  • Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Universal Credit

You must also prove that you are legally responsible for the child by sending the school admissions and benefits team a recent copy of your bank statement confirming the payment of child benefit to your account.

As it's not a statutory duty for councils, the amounts can vary hugely.

For example in Nottingham, you can claim different amounts for each child based on their school year, while other areas, such as Blackpool, offer no help towards school clothing cost at all.

When should I apply?

Generally applications can only be made between 30 June and 30 September - however it's worth double checking this date with your local authority first. You'll have to re-apply per child and for each academic year.

How will I be paid?

By cheque, which must be paid into a bank or building society account in your name.