Tens of thousands of children to get up to £150 payments to cover the cost of school uniform
TENS of thousands of children are expected to receive up to £150 in payments to cover the cost of their school uniform.
Families in Tower Hamlets, East London can expect increased financial assistance this year as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
The East end council has cranked up its support – setting aside £1million a year for new school uniform grants.
Household with incomes of up to £50,350 will be eligible in the council’s “universal payment” scheme.
Families will be able to claim £50 per child entering primary school and £150 per child heading into secondary school.
The plans are expected to provide a staggering 21,000 children with new uniforms this year.
The cost of living crisis has made buying school uniforms a big worry for a number of parents, with many allegedly turning to charities for support.
Last year, The Salvation Army reported a rise in demand for second hand items from its clothes banks.
Many schools are reportedly taking steps to reduce uniform costs but some still require 10 or more branded items per child.
Tower Hamlets has the highest rate of child poverty in the UK and the council added its budget was aimed “people of all ages”.
The council’s mayor, Luftur Rahman said the area is “blazing a trail” when it comes to supporting its residents.
This, he added, was thanks to setting aside nearly £55million for community projects.
Councillor Saied Ahmed said: “This council will always put residents first by protecting and investing further in frontline services.
“We are proud to put forward a balanced and resilient proposed budget that supports people of all ages, at a time when they need it the most.”
These plans form part of the council’s three-year budget which it’s set aside to support vulnerable families.
It’s also committed to provide universal school meals for both primary and secondary school children – saving families £550 a year.
Who is eligible for financial help with school uniforms?
RULES vary but generally you will qualify for a school uniform grant in England if you receive one of the following:
- Income support
- Jobseeker’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 may also be able to apply if your annual household income is less than £16,190.
You are likely to be asked to prove that you are legally responsible for the child by providing a recent copy of your bank statement confirming the payment of child benefit to your account.
This comes as the government announced its new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill earlier this month.
The legislation will ban schools from requiring parents to buy more than three branded items for children’s uniforms.
Parents are expected to save around £14 per primary school child and £19 per secondary school student.
What is a school clothing grant?
Under the Education Act 1990, local authorities have the power to provide financial help to parents on low incomes to assist them with buying school clothing for their children.
But this is not a statutory duty in England.
This means parents face a postcode lottery – as each council chooses whether to offer support, who is eligible and what items they will pay for.
The system is different in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where councils are required to offer assistance.
How can I find out if my council offers help?
You can use this government website to work out which local authority you fall under.
You just have to put your postcode into the search bar to find out.
Then, to find out whether your local authority offers school uniform grants, the first step is to visit your council’s website.
Click on the education tab or search for “uniform grant”.
There should be a section that tells you whether help is on offer, how much you might get, the criteria, and what you need to do to apply.
The deadline for applications varies from council to councils, it’s worth contacting yours directly.
If your council doesn’t offer help, you can try to speak to the school instead.
Do I have any other options?
Yes. Some charities give grants to help with the costs of education.
But bear in mind they often have a limited amount of money to give and usually have specific criteria which must be met in order to get a grant.
For example, members of union Unison can access grants of between £50 and £150 if they meet other income criteria.