School return brings financial strain for families, charity says

Families are struggling to afford the cost of sending their children back to school, with one Aberdeen charity helping around 650 youngsters in the past six weeks alone.

AberNecessities says rising living costs are putting increasing pressure on parents as they face back-to-school bills estimated at around £350 per child.

The charity, which provides disadvantaged families with the essential and basic necessities in the North East, says demand for school uniforms and other essentials has continued to rise.

Archway operations manager Irene Grassick says they hear from working families forced to cut back on food shop spending over the summer holidays to prepare for the new term.

“This is a time when we would normally see things going quiet over the summer, but unfortunately, we’re seeing demand increasing.

“With the rise in costs, many parents don’t have a significant income to be able to cover the day-to-day essentials and uniforms when it comes to going back to school. They’ve got conflicting demands on the finances they have.”

Families are struggling with back-to-school costs, charity warns STV News

In the last 12 months, AberNecessities supported over 9,000 children across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, distributing over 130,000 essential items including clothing, nappies, cots, prams and baby equipment.

The Scottish Government has provided £14.6m for a school clothing grant to families in need, £120 per primary-aged child and £150 per secondary-aged child annually.

Applications are handled directly by the local council, and eligibility is generally tied to qualifying benefits like Universal Credit or Council Tax Reduction.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is providing £14.6m towards the School Clothing Grant, which can be worth at least £120 for primary school pupils and £150 for secondary school pupils where they are eligible.

“Meanwhile, all primary school pupils in Primaries 1-5, all children in special schools, and eligible pupils in P6 through to S6 can already benefit from free meals in Scotland, saving families approximately £450 per child, per year, if taken every day. And in future years, the new Welcome to School bag will also provide a selection of items to ensure every child is fully equipped with the essentials they need to take their first step into school.

“Social Security Scotland is currently accepting applications for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment, granting eligible families over £330 to help with the costs of preparing for primary school.

“This will also be paid automatically to eligible parents in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.”