Is There Any Government Help With School Uniform Costs?

New Law On School Uniform Costs And Affordability​

Under a new law passed by Parliament on 29 April 2021, school uniforms are to be made more affordable for families. The Act will require schools to follow new statutory guidance on uniform costs, instructing them to keep prices down.

The cross-party support for the Bill recognised the costs parents face for school uniform, in particular branded items, and the new guidance will instruct schools to consider high street alternatives. It will also include measures on encouraging second-hand uniforms, arrangements with suppliers, and making sure parents have access to clear information about uniform policies.

Until now, the rules about keeping school uniform costs ‘affordable’ haven’t gained much traction, however, this new law ought to change things moving forward. As of the 30th of April, the old “non-statutory guidance” about uniform costs has been replaced by The Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms), a move that’s likely to be pretty popular with many UK parents of school age children. It could save hundreds of pounds (sometimes in  just a year) kitting out their kids for school.

On average, it costs about £337 to clothe a secondary school pupil. Schools often insist on expensive branded gear you can only get from specific uniform suppliers. Even primary schools can run to an average of £315 for a uniform, and children grow so fast that if you have several, you could be looking at thousands of pounds.

The Department will publish the statutory guidance in the autumn this year and it will focus on ensuring costs are reasonable for families of all backgrounds and giving parents the best value for money. It’s going to take 2 months for the bill to come into force but it has already passed the “Royal Assent” stage, meaning it’s actually a part of UK law as of now.

Tax Refund Calculator can help you claim back what is rightfully yours. Let us calculate whether you are due an HMRC Tax Refund, whether it be for Work Uniforms, Marriage allowance or for those in the construction industry, a CIS Tax Refund.

What Does The New Law Mean In Practical Terms?

Basically, school uniforms must be kept affordable. Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education is going to lay out exact guidance that schools must follow. The basics, though, are that costs need to be kept under control, uniforms need to be easy to buy and expensive branded items need to be kept to a minimum.

If it goes to plan, you should be able to acquire most of what your children need at the local supermarket rather than via expensive contracted suppliers. Schools must prove that they are getting top value for money from any suppliers they do still use too.

Is There Any Government Help With School Uniform Costs?

Apart from the new affordability bill, there is further help for some who struggle to clothe  their children for school. Families on a low income could get as much as £200 a year towards the cost of their child’s school uniform. With coronavirus meaning 100,000s more people are suffering financial hardship, many will be newly eligible However, while the grant is available across Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, it isn’t in England. Instead it’s up to individual local authorities to decide whether they will offer  the grant, so it’s a “postcode lottery” as to whether you will receive any extra help.

The minimum criteria to qualify for the grant is that your child must qualify for free school meals. To qualify for free school meals – and therefore potentially get help with school uniform costs – you would need to be getting at least one of the following means-tested benefits:

• 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 guaranteed element of pension credit
• Child tax credit
• Working tax credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
• Universal credit

Help with school uniform costs is reserved for people on low incomes, with small savings. While there aren’t any exact cut-off points, there will be for most of the benefits above.

If you are in England or Scotland, your local authority can include additional criteria

HMRC Tax Refunds

Whilst help with school uniforms is undeniably a massive help for many, the big area many people neglect to inquire about is the tax refund/s you’re owed for your work uniforms, travel and expenses. Getting an HMRC tax refund means getting back what the government owes you.

Not only this but Tax Refund Calculator can also help with other family finance rebates like Marriage Allowance. If either you or your partner isn’t using your full tax-free Personal Allowance, you can trade up to £1,260 of it between you meaning you pay less tax overall. We can take on the paperwork for this when we sort out your refund. Those in the Construction industry can contact us about a CIS Tax Refund too.

Bringing up a family is expensive enough without losing out on an HMRC tax refund as well.

Use our calculator to find out what you can claim.