A Northern Ireland mum has said additional financial support for families struggling to kit out their children with new school uniforms is simply not enough in the current cost of living crisis.
While the summer holidays are only beginning for most pupils, many parents are already counting the cost of preparing to send their children back to school in September.
Last week Education Minister Michelle McIlveen announced that the Northern Ireland school uniform grant will be increased by 20% to help support low income families.
Read more: Northern Ireland school uniform costs leading to children not going to school, campaigners say
The allowance helps towards the cost of specific items of school uniforms and clothing for PE for pupils at primary, post-primary and day pupils at special schools.
The additional £1.04million investment means the uniform grant will be increased for all applications for the 22/23 academic year.
Currently, the grant rate for a primary school uniform is £35.75 but this will rise to £42.90.
Uniform grant rates will also increase from £51 for pupils under 15 to £61.20, and from £56 to £67.20 for those over the age of 16.
While the move has been welcomed, those at the coalface of dealing with increasingly desperate families say more needs to be done to help people struggling to make ends meet.
They include Caroline Rice, 49, from Co Fermanagh, who works as a classroom assistant and is also in receipt of Universal Credit.
The Lisnaskea woman is a single mum to an 11-year-old daughter who is due to start secondary school this September.
Caroline told Belfast Live : "My daughter has just finished up in primary school but my thoughts have already turned to the cost of a brand new uniform and PE kit for her - basically everything.
"I have been trying to spread the cost because as I'm a classroom assistant, I will get paid in July for June but not in August or September. It's a double-edged sword because I'll have no wages and lose a lot of my Universal Credit so I'll be living on nothing in August.
"I used vouchers received as gifts to buy the new school blazer. It was £94.99 but with a 20% discount I got it for around £75. The PE gear was £64.50 and that's only for the T-shirt and sweatshirt with the school's logo. I didn't order the shorts, socks or bag as it's just too much."
She added: "I have been told by some parents with kids in this school that I don't need to buy everything as it's not compulsory even though it says so on the form. It's a local store which is the main and only supplier of that particular school uniform in this area too, so it's extremely difficult trying to source everything.
"Parents are constantly having to muster up money for these really expensive items. I wouldn't go and spend £90 on a blazer or a coat for myself yet I'm expected to do that for my child to go to school.
"A pair of school shoes costing £65 is a month's food for me and my child, that's the reality. When we're all facing this cost of living crisis it's completely unnecessary. Something needs to be done and while a 20% grant increase is welcome and long overdue, it's not enough."
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