Single parent question.

[turtill]

Can a single parent get assistance with school uniforms? A single mum
near me has to buy a school uniform and the only help she can get is
10GBP per child.
pete

 

[Robbie]

Can a single parent get assistance with school uniforms? A single mum
near me has to buy a school uniform and the only help she can get is
10GBP per child.
pete

It's up to the local council. The Local Education Authority is meant to
provide assistance towards the cost of school uniforms under the
Education Act 1944 in cases of pupils whose parents don't have the funds
to cover the cost, but many either don't or give minimal help.

You can't claim a Social Fund payment for it, as it is an excluded item
- deliberately so because the LEA are meant to meet the cost.

Robbie

 

[turtill]

It's up to the local council. The Local Education Authority is meant to
provide assistance towards the cost of school uniforms under the
Education Act 1944 in cases of pupils whose parents don't have the funds
to cover the cost, but many either don't or give minimal help.

You can't claim a Social Fund payment for it, as it is an excluded item
- deliberately so because the LEA are meant to meet the cost.

Thanks Robbie. I believe there are going to be a few kids on my estate
who will not be going to their new schools after the holiday then:-(
pete

 

[keith]

Thanks Robbie. I believe there are going to be a few kids on my estate
who will not be going to their new schools after the holiday then:-(
pete

Don't the goverment still give clothing store vouchers towards school
uniform?
It used to be granted from the same dept as you applied for the free
school meals.
If you were eligible for free school meals you got the vouchers
automatically 10 ish years ago it was around £40 of vouchers a year
IIRC.

 

[Robbie]

Don't the goverment still give clothing store vouchers towards school
uniform?
It used to be granted from the same dept as you applied for the free
school meals.
If you were eligible for free school meals you got the vouchers
automatically 10 ish years ago it was around £40 of vouchers a year
IIRC.

That's the local council that does both. They are supposed to help with
the cost of school uniform but many don't.

Robbie

 

[turtill]

That's the local council that does both. They are supposed to help with
the cost of school uniform but many don't.

Apparently Ipswich used to do that but no longer. Some kids will not
be going to school after the holiday on my estate:-(
pete

 

[Robbie]

Apparently Ipswich used to do that but no longer. Some kids will not
be going to school after the holiday on my estate:-(
pete

I bet it's only a handful though. Some parents who plead poverty do
wonders when it comes to buying a new mobile, going to the pub, or
buying a widescreen TV! A fortnight in the house will see them buying
their kids a new school uniform...

Robbie

 

[turtill]

I bet it's only a handful though. Some parents who plead poverty do
wonders when it comes to buying a new mobile, going to the pub, or
buying a widescreen TV! A fortnight in the house will see them buying
their kids a new school uniform...

Yes it is only a handful that I know of and they are single mothers
some of whom run a car and do all the things you suggest. I still do
not see why they should be forced to pay for extremely expensive
clothing when it is a school policy and not a voluntary policy.
pete

 

[Robbie]

Yes it is only a handful that I know of and they are single mothers
some of whom run a car and do all the things you suggest. I still do
not see why they should be forced to pay for extremely expensive
clothing when it is a school policy and not a voluntary policy.
pete

I agree. My sister is on Income Support and she has had to pay just over
£200 for school uniforms for my three nephews. She could only afford to
do that by borrowing from the family. My local council (Sunderland)
stopped giving grants for uniforms in the mid-90s.

There have been legal challenges to the general policies of councils but
this has come to nothing. The Education Act 1944 doesn't compel LEA's to
provide grants, it just gives them the right to provide them if they
wish to do so.

Robbie

 

[turtill]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:

I agree. My sister is on Income Support and she has had to pay just over
£200 for school uniforms for my three nephews. She could only afford to
do that by borrowing from the family. My local council (Sunderland)
stopped giving grants for uniforms in the mid-90s.

There have been legal challenges to the general policies of councils but
this has come to nothing. The Education Act 1944 doesn't compel LEA's to
provide grants, it just gives them the right to provide them if they
wish to do so.

Well I suppose someone has to suffer to make the rest happy. I don't
always agree with single mothers exclamations but where I live they
cannot be faulted. Many of them go without much in life that would
make their lives easier in order that their kids get a good start.
pete

 

[Mike]

Well I suppose someone has to suffer to make the rest happy. I don't
always agree with single mothers exclamations but where I live they
cannot be faulted. Many of them go without much in life that would
make their lives easier in order that their kids get a good start.
pete

School uniforms are with the exception of a blazer as cheep if not
cheaper than other clothes. I equipped both my son's for the coming
term for less than £30. I will be spending another £60 on school
sweatshirts but that is not compulsory, plain ones are accepted and
common. Even if they had black blazers (and few local schools have
blazers as a compulsory uniform) instead of sweatshirts (2 each) I would
be paying less than £120 for the lot.
Many see it as an expense because they don't want to wear it and it only
gets worn at school, the fact that this is about half the child's waking
hours for most of the year seems to be forgotten. Compared to ordinary
clothes, a school uniform will save money.

Mike

 

[Derek Hornby]

My sister is on Income Support and she has had to pay just over
£200 for school uniforms for my three nephews.

But that's only an average of £3.84 a week if she had started to save.

She could only afford to do that by borrowing from the family. My local
council (Sunderland) stopped giving grants for uniforms in the mid-90s.

There have been legal challenges to the general policies of councils but
this has come to nothing. The Education Act 1944 doesn't compel LEA's to
provide grants,

Well why should it?
Why should the state pay for what one could pay for if one budges carefully.
And what's wrong with the idea of a family supporting its own members?

My 2 nieces have just gone away for a 2 weeks holiday and i have given them
money.
I am also helping to build up a fund for when/if they start uni.
Derek

 

[Derek Hornby]

I bet it's only a handful though. Some parents who plead poverty do
wonders when it comes to buying a new mobile, going to the pub, or
buying a widescreen TV! A fortnight in the house will see them buying
their kids a new school uniform...

Well that's the point isn't it, why should the state pay for the
school uniforms given that parents are able to afford them,
if they get their priorities right and budget.

Also, it's really irrelevant whether it's a single mother or not.
It's possible for a couple to have a lower standard of living than
a single mother.
And at end of the day non of us can know the *true* financial situation of
those that live on our own street.
It's like saying we can't know the *true* financial situation of a given
named poster on a news group, we can only know what we are told, and then
it's down to what one wants to *believe*


Derek

 

[anthonyberet]

Derek Hornby wrote:

Why should the state pay for what one could pay for if one budges carefully.

Because it is the state that is demanding the expenditure?

 

[anthonyberet]

Well that's the point isn't it, why should the state pay for the
school uniforms given that parents are able to afford them,
if they get their priorities right and budget.

Also, it's really irrelevant whether it's a single mother or not.
It's possible for a couple to have a lower standard of living than
a single mother.
And at end of the day non of us can know the *true* financial situation of
those that live on our own street.
It's like saying we can't know the *true* financial situation of a given
named poster on a news group, we can only know what we are told, and then
it's down to what one wants to *believe*

Derek, what are you on about?
This is a group about social security benefits. The question is
perfectly on topic.

 

[Martin McGowan]

But that's only an average of £3.84 a week if she had started to save.


Well why should it?
Why should the state pay for what one could pay for if one budges carefully.
And what's wrong with the idea of a family supporting its own members?

My 2 nieces have just gone away for a 2 weeks holiday and i have given them
money.
I am also helping to build up a fund for when/if they start uni.
Derek

the problem is that for those on the basic rate of income support,
without the disability premiums etc, life is very tight, everything
has to be budgeted for. life is generally more expensive as many of
them don't have anything beyond basic bank accounts and have
problems therefore with things like direct debit. They have no
control over when payments go out on a monthly basis and their
income is on a weekly or four weekly basis, so the pay dates move.
and no the service suppliers won't move to four weekly charging and
the DWP won't move to monthly payments. therefore it's very easy to
hit situations where payment comes in day after expenditure goes out
and they are hit by charges.
therefore they go onto card meters. the most expensive tariff
available so their energy costs are proportionally more than those
of us who can use direct debit, but the advantage being you can
budget for it in your weekly/fortnightly/ 4 weekly income schemes.
Then if you're on a weekly benefit you can't buy in bulk and if you
don't have access to private transport, as is often the case, you
have to walk to the shops. for many in the uk there isn't a regular
reliable public transport. so you do your shopping in the corner
shop, a lot more expensive than tesco or aldi.
added to which any "fresh vegetable" in the corner shop is up to a
week old so it's vitamin content has dropped. poor diet leads to
poor mental performance, an escape is needed hence the TV plus the
dream that a handful of scratch-cards will lift them out of poverty
and into a life of luxury.
so to talk about budgeting £3.84 per week is crazy, the DWP levels
are subsistence living, nothing is built in for repairs and
maintenance. yes school uniforms are good quality and will outlast
the child's growth, but it can't really be used for day to day
living. given a chance "mum" will buy a cheap pair of jeans and a
sweatshirt for £10.00 the pair which can also be used after school
and will be cheaply replaced with the next size up when the child
grows. If local education authorities are going to demand expensive
uniforms, ie more than generic grey trousers, white shirt and a
plain sweatshirt, then they should have a duty to help towards the
*extra* costs.
Martin McGowan

 

[Derek Hornby]

Because it is the state that is demanding the expenditure?

But the state demands lots of other types of expense, and people are
still expected to pay, and thus budget.
It's surly a case people need to get their priorities right.
Example: Is a visit to the pub more important than saving for school
uniform?
Is owning a car really necessary?
Is having a TV really necessary?

I am not suggesting people give up all the nice things in life,
but rather, just get *priorities* right.

The state can't be expected to fund *everything*

now in the case of school uniforms, I Suggest you may find that
help is available, if people make a good case for such help.
After all, nobody can be *forced* to buy, what they cannot afford to buy.

Derek

 

[Derek Hornby]

the problem is that for those on the basic rate of income support,
without the disability premiums etc, life is very tight, everything
has to be budgeted for.

ok but this is not a single mother issue *only* that's why I did say
in another post, that it's irrelevant whether it' single mother. It is
possible for a couple to be more hardup, than a one parent family.

For example:
a couple with 6 children. let us suppose the mother is not working,
and the father was on the minimum wage.
Would this family have lower standard of living (when *everything* is
taken into account) compared to a one parent family (not working) on income
support, with say 1 child or 2 children.
Derek

 

[Derek Hornby]

Derek, what are you on about?
This is a group about social security benefits. The question is
perfectly on topic.

Well I didn't say it wasn't on topic.

Going by the quoted posts, the OP appears to be suggesting that there are
single mothers on his street that won't be able to afford school uniforms.
I am saying it's irrelevant whether it's a single mother or not.
Because, there are many couples that can be just as, or even more than,
hard up than a single mother.
I also made the point we can't know for sure, a person's true financial
situation, it is down to what we believe.

I mean if you saw a young adult always at home, you can't be sure
are they at home because unable towork, are they at home because
don't want to work, or are they at home because don't need to work.

Derek

 

[Martin McGowan]

snip

now in the case of school uniforms, I Suggest you may find that
help is available, if people make a good case for such help.
After all, nobody can be *forced* to buy, what they cannot afford to buy.

unfortunately if parents don't buy uniform, child is sent home until
comes in uniform. Child has not been legally excluded from school so
lea could take parents to school for non attendance and parent could
go to prison. rather an uneven balance, to my way of thinking that
is the use of "force"
Martin McGowan