National minimum school clothing grant to help struggling families

John Swinney: the clothing grant will tackle stigma A new national minimum school clothing grant of £100 will tackle stigma and relieve pressure on families, said Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills John Swinney.

The Scottish Government confirmed 120,000 families will have access to the minimum level of financial support through the scheme set to open ahead of the 2018/19 academic year.

For the first time all eligible families across Scotland will have access to the same minimum level of financial support for school clothing.

A survey last year revealed cases of teachers that had personally funded school uniforms for children living in poverty.

Annual costs for the scheme are expected to reach £12 million, with 50 per cent of the cost met by the Scottish Government and 50 per cent by local authorities.

The grant will be reviewed every two years to ensure the funding remains in line with the cost of living. Mr Swinney said: “We know that school uniforms can be a considerable cost for families, which is why we have worked in partnership with Cosla to introduce a new national minimum school clothing grant. It will help relieve pressure on families, reduce costs of living and remove the stress and stigma which can often be associated with struggling to afford essential school items.”

Councillor Stephen Mccabe, Cosla’sspokesmanforchildren and young people, said: “Every child in Scotland deserves the best chance in life and for too long poverty has blighted the life chances of too many of our children and young people. Access to decent clothing is an important part of ensuring children have the best chance of getting the most from their education.

“Therefore, it is only right that we do the best we can to create as much of a level playing field as we can in terms of school uniform. Scotland’s councils are committed to making the learning experience as positive as possible for our young people. Today’s announcement is another step in the right direction towards achieving this aim.”