North Yorkshire County Council has increased the school clothing allowance this year to help some of the county’s poorest families.
Despite the fact the county council is in the middle of a stringent savings programme, executive members have taken the decision to increase the allowance from £65 to £70.
This will help more than 550 families across the county.
County councillor Arthur Barker, executive member for schools, said that the county council’s highest priority was to give children the best start in life and to support their education.
County councillor Arthur Barker said:
We have increased the allowance because we believe it is essential to help to our poorest families who are very stretched during this economic downturn and have even less income to spend on their children’s clothing.
Currently, the allowance is awarded to parents of pupils who are transferring from primary to secondary school (Year 7) and from middle to high school (Year 10).
Parents must be in receipt of one of the following state benefits: Income Support; Income-Based Job Seekers’ Allowance; Child Tax Credit where the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit and whose annual income (as assessed by HMRC) does not exceed £16,190; Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; Maximum level of Working Tax Credit; Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit; Income related Employment and Support Allowance.
