Parents in Bristol are among few in the country who can apply for financial help to buy school uniform for their children.
Just 21 local councils in England offer grants for parents or guardians who need a bit of help getting new school uniform items, although the level of help varies around the country.
Parents in South Gloucestershire can also, in theory, get a grant for school uniform purchases, but only in very extreme circumstances.
Read more: The cheapest and most expensive school uniforms in Bristol revealed
As the cost of living crisis, spiralling fuel bills and below-inflation pay awards start to hit families across the UK, the MoneySavingExpert website listed all the councils that do help parents with school uniform purchases.
And they found a huge disparity between the four nations of the UK, and within England.
Every single council in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales offers help to parents who need it to pay for school uniforms. In Northern Ireland, the maximum help is up to £67.20 per child, in Scotland it’s £120 per child, and in Wales it’s £200 per child.
But in England, only 21 out of 151 local councils - including Bristol - offer this help, and the amount is almost always less than that.
North Somerset
There is no help available from North Somerset Council. It was cut in 2018.
Bath and North East Somerset
There is no help available from B&NES Council.
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire Council provides an essential school clothing grant to help parents on low incomes purchase school clothes for their child, but in exceptional circumstances.
To be eligible for a grant, you must in receipt of one of the following:
- Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- Universal Credit and not working
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
And even then, it’s not a given that you will be eligible for help. It’s only for children in certain circumstances, that range from having your house burn down and your school uniform destroyed to a child suddenly being moved from one parent to another and needing emergency help.
The full list of criteria is as follows, and South Gloucestershire Council require evidence of at least one of these conditions applying.
- you have been affected by a fire, theft or flood
- homelessness – for example you are a parent leaving home due to domestic violence
- medical condition – for example your child is affected by one of the following: obesity, extreme growth, enuresis or soiling problem
- bereavement – your child has lost a parent
- conditions of extreme poverty – such as situations where your family are at risk of being made homeless, or affected by high debts etc.
- reconstituted families – for example, where your child returns to live with one parent having lived with the other and financial difficulties arise (your child may arrive with no clothing)
- move of school due to supported transfer (Permanently Excluded Pupil)
In South Gloucestershire, parents or guardians have to fill in a form online and provide a copy of the award letter to prove they receive the benefit, and both the benefit proof and the proof of special circumstance must not be more than three months old.
If, after all that, a council officer decides a child is eligible, they will receive a grant of £25 if they are already in school, or £50 if they are transferring into a new school - this applies to any aged child.
They’ll get a voucher and that’s only valid for three months. A blazer at a typical school in South Gloucestershire costs between £40 and £60.
Bristol
Bristol is one of only 21 councils to offer support for parents to pay for school uniform, and there are fewer restrictions than in South Gloucestershire - just needing help, rather than the exceptional circumstances demanded by South Gloucestershire Council.
Bristol City Council offers financial support to families on low incomes specifically in the summer and autumn for help with school uniforms. This support runs from July 11 to October 9 this year, and payment is made in the form of supermarket vouchers to help with budgeting for uniforms. This money, the council, said can be spent on food, school uniforms, shoes and stationery.
“Grant amounts are intended to support in part with the cost of the uniform, not cover it in full,” a council spokesperson said. “We aim to process claims within 10 working days. If we get an application outside the above dates, we may still offer support to families that are experiencing a one-off financial crisis outside their control,” they added.
In Bristol, there is no maximum amount available - it depends on your circumstances. The council administers these grants as part of a wider Local Crisis and Prevention Fund, which may help people with any kind of emergency they find themselves in.
To be eligible, you must live in Bristol City Council area, and generally, only one payment per year is allowed. To find out more and apply, click here.
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