Concern over Angus Council's plan to phase out uniform grants

Scotland's local authorities provide poorer families with financial help for school uniforms

A charity has voiced concerns that one local authority in Scotland is to phase out school clothing grants as part of a £19m cost-cutting exercise.

Angus Council will drop the £20 allowance by 2017.

However, the Child Poverty Action Group believed such a move could contravene a 1980's law stating help should be given to those in financial hardship.

The council's actions were revealed as part of a BBC Scotland investigation into school clothing grants.

The probe found that the majority of Scotland's 32 local authorities had failed to increase the level of payments over the past decade.

At £20 per child, Angus Council offered the smallest subsidy, while at £110 West Lothian offered the largest.

John Dickie, director of charity Child Poverty Action Group, said his organisation would be "hugely concerned" by any move to remove the school clothing grant.

He added: "Every local authority in Scotland has, up until now, at least been providing some level of support.

"Our understanding is that there's a legislative requirement to ensure the provision is in place".

• Use the INTERACTIVE CALCULATOR developed by BBC data journalist Marc Ellison to see how far you can stretch a council clothing grant.

Try and clothe a child on a council clothing grant using BBC Scotland's interactive calculator

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 states: "When it is brought to the notice of an education authority that a pupil attending a school under their management is unable by reason of the inadequacy or unsuitability of his clothing to take full advantage of the education provided, the education authority shall make such provision for the pupil for the purpose of ensuring that he is sufficiently and suitably clad."

Up until 2013-14, Angus Council's clothing grant had been £50, but it was cut first to £35 and then to £20.

In 2005-06 the provision cost £160,000, by 2014-15 that figure had fallen to £102,000.

A council spokeswoman said the local authority understood that "people may be disappointed" in the reduction of school clothing grant.

Blazers made from bottles

However, she added: "Unfortunately in these tough economic times we have to make some cuts to ensure we can afford to run critical frontline services.

"As such Angus Council took the budget decision in 2014 to phase out the school clothing grant over three years."

She went on to explain that schools had the authority to make "individual arrangements" to ensure the authority "complied with its responsibilities".

The spokeswoman said: "We are committed to making school uniforms as affordable as we can, for example three of our secondary schools use a Scottish company to produce an eco-blazer which is made from 16, recycled plastic bottles.

"This new approach is not only environmentally friendly, it has reduced the costs of school blazers. Since its introduction this year, there has been a very positive response with a lot of interest and support from parents and carers."

At the beginning of the year, the council passed a £19m three-year savings plan.