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STRUGGLING parents who work in supermarkets can apply for a new £150 clothing grant to help with the cost of school uniforms.
The School Essentials Grant has been launched by the charity GroceryAid to help ease the financial burden of kids going back to school in September.
It comes as recent research from The Children’s Society showed parents spend £337 on average per child each year on uniform for secondary school children, and £315 for primary school children.
The charity argues that the cost of uniform is leaving low-income families cutting back on essentials such as food to cover school costs.
The School Essentials Grant was launched on July 1 and allows qualifying families to apply for £150 to help bridge the financial gap.
To get the grant, yourself or your partner that you live with must currently work in the grocery industry, and have been for at least 12 months.
HERE's how much the major supermarkets charge for school uniform.
These prices are accurate at the time of writing.
Total: £4.50 with either trousers or skirt
Total: From £11.50 with trousers, or from £10 with skirt
It's worth pointing out that Morrisons charges the same price regardless of size.
Total: From £9.75 with trousers, or from £11.25 with skirt
Total: From £13.50 with trousers, or from £10 with skirt
You can't buy school uniform online so it only lists a limited selected meaning cheaper prices and more items may be available in store.
Total: From £13.50 with trousers, unclear with skirt
This counts as people working in supermarkets, independent food stores or in food production - basically any establishment specialising in the sale of food.
As well as covering the cost of uniforms, the grant can also be used to buy other school essentials such as books and stationery.
Here’s everything you need to know:
The School Essentials Grant allows parents to apply for £150 per school-aged child between the ages of four and 18.
You can apply for a maximum of three children per family.
To qualify, you must meet each the following criteria:
To get the grant, you must meet each point above - those who only match one or two of the criteria won't be accepted.
Anyone who has received a grant from GroceryAid after April 1, 2020, will also not be eligible to apply.
You can apply for The Schools Essentials Grant directly through the website.
Parents will need to fill out an online form to prove they meet the above criteria.
GroceryAid says you'll need to have the following evidence to hand when applying:
Your evidence can be in the form of:
Once you've been accepted, the money will then be paid into your bank account.
The School Essentials Grant will close for new applications on 30 September, 2020, or when the fund has been used, whichever comes first.
GroceryAid couldn't tell us exactly how many funding is available, but said they are looking to expand their current amount.
If you don't qualify for The School Essentials Grant, you may be able to apply for other funding through the government.
The School Clothing Grant is part of the Education Act 1980 and is usually funded by local authorities.
The amount offered varies depending on your location, but can be as much as £150 per child.
But this is not a statutory duty, so your chances of getting the cash is a postcode lottery and each district has a different criteria.
You can use the website to search for grants in your local area by entering your postcode.
However, money-saving bloggers at say they've noticed fewer councils still offering help for school uniform costs.
The Sun tested several postcodes this morning and found around 50 per cent of the local authorities we looked at were offering some sort of funding.
For example West Sussex County Council said it doesn't offer money to help uniform costs, but Hackney Council is still accepting applications for grants worth up to £100.
Who is eligible?
The amount you can claim in England depends on your local authority and its budget.
But as a general rule, grants are available for people on any of the below benefits and support.
You may also be eligible if your annual income is less than £16,190, while some councils only provide grants to children who get free school meals.
If you live in , or , you'll need to apply for a school uniform grant through separate websites.
Scottish parents on low incomes get , while in Wales, the government provides .
In Northern Ireland, the education authority pays to pupils on free school meals.
