Students given £360 to stay in further education

The council says it hopes the grant will reduce the financial barriers many families face

A council has said it will give students a one-off payment of £360 towards their education to help them overcome financial barriers.

Basildon Council in Essex said it would give the grant to 360 teenagers aged 16-19, whose families receive Universal Credit.

A spokesperson said the money was designed to cover costs such as tuition, transport and study materials.

Labour council leader Gavin Callaghan said financial pressures were "driving students away from education".

"Basildon borough has almost unrivalled potential but only if our young people have the skills to step into the jobs emerging here," said Mr Callaghan.

The money has been taken out of the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The families are due to receive the payments by 31 March, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Callaghan described the initiative as a "bit of a pilot" in a live stream on social media, and said about 2,000 families could be eligible in the future.

Basildon was ranked as the third most deprived borough in Essex, by research conducted for the government in 2019.