CUTTING THE COST OF BACK-TO-SCHOOL
PARENTS will soon face the expense of sending their children back to class.
School uniforms, stationery, books, technology and more burn a hole in the bank account. But there are ways to send children back to school for less.
You might be eligible for a grant to help buy your child’s school uniform. This largely depends on where you live and your financial situation. In England, for example, your local council might offer grants if you are earning less than £16,190 a year or are on certain benefits.
Go to gov. uk/ help- schoolclothingcosts and search for your local authority to find out if it offers any help.
In Wales, if you’re eligible for free school meals, you can apply for a grant. In Scotland, you might be able to get a ‘School Clothing Grant’ by applying to your local council. In Northern Ireland, the Clothing Allowance Scheme covers pupils in primary, post-primary and special schools, and generally covers those who qualify for free school meals. You can get this help by applying to the education authority.
If you don’t qualify for the grant, it’s worth contacting your child’s school to see if it has a secondhand uniform scheme. Uniforms and sports gear are often donated in July and are usually available to pupils at the start of the new school year either free or heavily discounted to raise funds.
Some parents also find handme-downs from mums and dads of older kids on local Facebook or WhatsApp groups. Free sites such as Freecycle, Gumtree Free Stuff and nextdoor.com often have uniforms and sports kit on offer to the first bidder, so keep looking each day.