CPAG welcomes Leeds u-turn on school uniform grants

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has welcomed Leeds City Council’s decision to reverse planned cuts to school uniform grants for thousands of low-income families in the city.

The charity criticised the cuts last week saying they would be a “huge blow” to some of the poorest families in Leeds and called on the Council to “think again” and overturn the decision.

Council leaders had planned to cut back school uniform allowances so that they were only available for children starting in reception or year seven. But as CPAG pointed out at the time, parents need to buy school clothes every year and not just in the first year of primary and secondary school. The move would have seen just 4,500 pupils automatically qualify compared to 24,000 last year.

Following yesterday’s full council meeting, Leeds City Council leader Mark Harris said that £350,000 would be found to retain the scheme by savings in councillors’ hospitality and PR, saying:

“I apologise to those people of Leeds to whom we have caused anguish and harm. We were wrong but we have been courageous enough to say so.”

CPAG’s Chief Executive Kate Green said today:

“We’re delighted that the Council has decided to reverse their original decision. It will be a relief to thousands of parents who would otherwise have had no help with school uniform costs this year.

“Cutting vital support for low income families should not be an easy saving to make. Other local authorities who give no help with school uniform costs or who have cut their grants in recent years should take note.”

A survey by Citizens Advice in 2004 found that 42 per cent of local authorities offer no help at all to parents with school uniforms costs, however low their income, compared with 30 per cent in 2001.

For further information from CPAG please contact:
Alex Belardinelli
CPAG Press Officer
Tel. 020 7812 5216 or 07816 909302
abelardinelli@cpag.org.uk