Struggling parents can now apply for £150 school uniform grant if they work in a supermarket

22 July 2020, 08:33

The new grant has been put in place to aid parents who work in supermarkets and can't afford to shell out for expensive school uniforms.

A brand new school clothing grant worth £150 is now available for parents who work in supermarkets.

The School Essentials Grant is set to help struggling parents who need some financial air for their children's school uniforms, as the return to school is going to be expensive for many.

The charity GroceryAid is behind the grant, and comes as new research from The Children's Society reveals that a whopping £337 is spent on average per child every year on secondary school uniforms, and £315 on primary ones.

Low-income families are having to cut back on essentials such as food in order to cover costs such as uniforms, claim the charity, which is why the grant was launched back on July 1.

It allows qualifying families to apply for £150 to help with uniform costs, and in order to get it either you or your partner (who you live with), need to be working in the grocery industry, and have been doing so for at least a year.

The grant doesn't just cover supermarkets, but anyone working in independent food stores or in food production too.

And as well as uniforms, the funds granted can actually be used to cover the cost of any school essentials such as stationary or books.

THE QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:

The School Essentials Grant allows parents to apply for £150 per school-aged child between the ages of four and 18.

You can apply for a maximum of three children per family.

To qualify, you must meet each the following criteria:

You are currently employed in the grocery sector and have been for at least 12 months or more

You can provide evidence of receipt of Child Benefit which is paid into your bank account (one grant per child)

Household net income meets GroceryAid’s criteria for financial hardship. (The charity uses the Joseph Rowntree Minimum Income Standards guidelines which takes into account how many people are in your family and housing costs)

Household savings are below £1,000

To get the grant, you must meet each point above - those who only match one or two of the criteria won't be accepted.

Anyone who has received a grant from GroceryAid after April 1, 2020, will also not be eligible to apply.

HOW TO APPLY:

You can apply for The Schools Essentials Grant directly through the GroceryAid website.

Parents will need to fill out an online form to prove they meet the above criteria.

GroceryAid says you'll need to have the following evidence to hand when applying:

One full month’s bank statements showing all household income, housing costs, and child benefit payments or child benefit statements. (This may mean you'll also need to show your partner’s bank statement)

Evidence that you are currently working in grocery and have continuously worked in the grocery sector for at least the last 12 months

Your evidence can be in the form of:

The last 12 months payslips

A letter or email from your employer on letterhead or from a company email address confirming your term of employment

Another official document such as a P60 for the last two years of employment

Once you've been accepted, the money will then be paid into your bank account.

The School Essentials Grant will close for new applications on 30 September, 2020, or when the fund has been used, whichever comes first.

GroceryAid hasn't revealed the full amount of money on offer, but has revealed they are looking to expand their current amount.