Millions of kids in ill-fitting or dirty clothes as councils axe school uniform grant

Vital cash to help parents buy school uniforms has been stripped away by councils.

Four out of five authorities in England have stopped offering the School Uniform Grant since 2010.

And the Children’s Society says it has left 1.7million kids going to school in ill-fitting, dirty or incorrect clothing.

The figures, revealed under a Freedom of Information request, show 27 out of 149 councils provide grants.

London and the North West give most provision.

Millions of children are going to school in ill-fitting, dirty or incorrect clothing (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

There was just one council across the whole of the South and East of England, three in the Midlands and none in the North East.

The average grant was £36 for primary pupils and £63 for kids at secondary – less than one sixth of the average £300 uniform cost in 2018.

One in 10 families fell into debt because of the outlay.

School uniforms can be expensive and with children growing all the time, often have to be replaced annually (Getty Images)

Labour MP Lisa Forbes said: “In most of England this grant has been abolished by stealth. These cuts hit our youngest and most vulnerable.

"I have heard from too many parents how uniform is unaffordable – and one in five had to cut down on essentials to buy kit.”

Several authorities said charities now offered help, while others set up “crisis funds” to help in desperate cases. Only Jeremy Corbyn ’s local Labour-run Islington Council offered the full £150.