Farming charity RABI’s ‘Return to School’ grant will be available again for 2025, helping ease the financial strain for farming families ahead of the new academic year.
The initiative, which began in 2022 in response to the cost-of-living crisis, has provided millions of pounds in financial support to farming families across the UK.
This year, eligible parents and guardians will be able to apply for a fixed grant of £200 per child, for up to six school-aged children (aged 4 to 16).
The first phase of applications will open on 16 June and are available to both working and non-working farming families.
RABI’s director of services, Caron Whaley, said: “The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the rising prices of school uniforms and supplies, has significantly impacted the finances of many families across the UK.
“Our grant is committed to ensuring that thousands of schoolchildren across our farming community are equipped and ready to thrive when they return to their classrooms in September.”
This year, a total of 5,000 Return to School grants will be available to farming families, split across two phases to manage demand.
Phase 1 will open on Monday 16 June at 9am, offering 2,500 grants, and phase 2 will follow on Monday 30 June, also at 9am, with a further 2,500 grants up for grabs.
To ensure applications are processed as smoothly as possible, RABI is encouraging families to prepare their key information ahead of time.
Applicants will need to provide the total number of children for whom they claim Child Benefit. This includes all children in the household, not just those aged between 4 and 16.
A copy of a recent bank statement — showing that Child Benefit has been received in the past two months — must be supplied.
Finally, applicants will need to confirm how many of their children fall within the eligible school-aged bracket of 4 to 16 years old.
