Tower Hamlets (Parliament Politics Magazine) – As part of Tower Hamlets Council program, families with household incomes of £50,350 or less will be eligible for the proposed school uniform award, which Tower Hamlets Council has allocated £3 million to pay.
For each child beginning primary school, families will be entitled to receive £50, and for each child beginning secondary school, £150. The program is set to aid approximately 21,000 children over the next three years for East London children.
“As an administration, we are trying to ensure that all children in Tower Hamlets are given every opportunity to realise their dreams, regardless of class, religion, or skin colour,” Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman stated during Wednesday’s (January 8) Cabinet meeting, which covered the council’s budget proposals for the next three years.
“This is not an easy task and the financial burden that sending children through school, college and then onto university can place great pressure on families – every parent wants their children to have the best life chances and as a council we are trying to support them in this endeavour.”
How Is Tower Hamlets Supporting Families and Education?
A £2 million annual Community Resilience Support Fund package would provide the £1 million yearly grant for school uniforms.
The Aspire Party’s Mr. Rahman continued by saying that since May 2022, his administration has spent over £25 million on youth, notably £600 in college grants, £1,500 in university bursaries, and free school lunches for elementary and secondary school students.
According to Mr. Rahman, programs like free swimming for women and girls 16 and older and men over 55 will remain in place, along with free school lunches and scholarships for colleges and universities.
He continued by stating: “We will continue to do all we can to support working families and their child’s journey towards achieving their dreams and full potential and we are immensely proud to represent this fully costed policy at today’s Cabinet.”
Additionally, the council has allocated £3 million for a new Meals on Wheels service and plans to invest £1 million annually to support young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) as they grow into adulthood.
The council also intends to invest £270,000 annually for the next three years to expand its “state-of-the-art” CCTV service, and it is spending £551,000 annually to establish a drugs taskforce that will collaborate with police to address drug supply, dealing, exploitation, and treatment.
Who qualifies for the school uniform grant by Tower Hamlets Council?
The cost of a school uniform for 11-year-olds transitioning from primary to secondary school can be partially covered by a school clothes grant. During their school years, a student can receive only one award.
The deadline for applications to be accepted before September 30 each year, the day after your child’s school placement. Any application submitted after the deadline will only be considered in exceptional cases.
A reward of £125 will be awarded to each kid who satisfies the requirements.
Applications submitted after the deadline or by students who are ineligible for years 8 through 11 will only be taken into consideration in special cases.
How will Tower Hamlets address child poverty with uniform grants?
Tower Hamlets is reputed to have the worst proportion of child poverty in the United Kingdom. According to the council, there would be no limitations on the assistance, meaning that a household with one primary school student and two secondary school students would receive £350 in payments.
This week, the government revealed its own cost-cutting initiatives in its bill for schools and children’s welfare.
The planned payment from his council “demonstrates the kind of financial support that national and local governments should be offering, going beyond token gestures to directly relieve the pressure on cash-strapped families,” Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman said in an obvious hit at the federal government.
On January 8, the council’s cabinet approved the Tower Hamlets proposal, which will be presented to the entire council for approval on February 26.
🚨BREAKING: We're set to become the first council in England to provide a universal school uniform grant to families earning less than £50,350.
— Lutfur Rahman (@LutfurRahmanTH) January 9, 2025
With more parents turning to clothing banks to find uniforms, I urge the government and other councils to follow Tower Hamlets' lead 🧵 pic.twitter.com/upr7znTZf2