Hull councillor calls for school uniform grants

Families are being made to choose between uniforms and food, said Labour councillor Jessica Raspin

A councillor who said she had to wear the same blazer all through school has called for a uniform subsidy to be offered to cash-strapped families.

Jessica Raspin said parents were having to choose between school clothes and essentials, like food and rent.

The Children's Society claims parents spend on average £422 a year on secondary and £287 on primary uniforms.

Hull Council said it was "doing everything it can" but a £100-a-year grant request was "unaffordable".

Ms Raspin said her parents could only afford one blazer for her five years of secondary school and recalled being "called names" because it was so big when she started.

Her call for help came as the Children's Society announced one in eight families have had to cut back on food to afford uniforms and that having to buy branded clothes and from specific suppliers was pushing up costs.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service., the Labour councillor said the current amount of money allocated for help with school uniforms in Hull was only £1.78 for every eligible family.

Ms Raspin said: "I was the eldest of four children and I remember getting a blazer that fit me right up until Year 11.

"I also remember my family having to buy me cheap school shoes that would break all the time, because that's all we could afford.

"Families are increasingly turning to charities and demand for help has doubled compared to last year, many are looking to September with dread.

"The council should put children first and provide financial assistance to families through grants, we can't afford to dither and delay on this."

Responding to Ms Raspin's appeal, Mike Ross, leader of the Liberal Democrat-run Hull City Council, told the BBC "the sort of numbers that are being talked about exceeds the amount of money we have" but added that "there is some funding that has been set aside".

Children's Services portfolio holder, Linda Tock said that while it is "shocking" that families cannot afford school uniforms Hull has "never had heaps of money" and is "one of the poorest cities in the country".

She estimated that it would "probably" cost the council around £5m to help all the families that need assistance with uniforms.

Ms Tock said: "We're living through unprecedented times and this council is doing everything it can to support families and many others who are struggling."