Thousands face delay in back-to-school aid

TENS of thousands of families may be waiting weeks after their children return to school before getting state help with the cost of uniforms.

As a new survey shows the cost of educating a child from primary through to third level has risen almost 4.5% to €70,000 in the last year, figures from the Health Service Executive (HSE) show that less than half of applications for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance have been finalised to date.

They were released to the Labour Party a week ago, even though the HSE told the Irish Examiner yesterday morning that no details were yet available on the numbers of applications or processed claims.

Labour TD Joanna Tuffy revealed in a lunchtime statement that figures given in reply to questions from her colleague Ruairi Quinn last week show that almost 122,000 claims had so far been submitted to HSE community welfare officers for the allowance.

Only 49,402 have been processed, with an estimated value of almost €24 million, but Ms Tuffy said the backlog will be further added to by the addition of tens of thousands more applications in the coming weeks.

“When it comes to getting children back to school in a few weeks’ time, many thousands of families who badly need this additional support will simply not have it,” she said.

“The grants provided to assist in the purchase of shoes and uniforms provides some level of relief to families who are under financial pressure, but only if they receive the support when they actually need it,” Ms Tuffy said.

The allowance is worth €200 for each qualifying primary pupil and €305 for those at second level, both slightly higher than the uniform costs estimated in the survey of parents by the schooldays.ie website.

It showed that the annual cost of sending a child to primary school now stands at almost €1,700, 10% higher than a year ago in the same survey.

The cost of putting a student through second-level education is up 9% to €2,352 but third-level costs are the same as last year, largely due to declining rents and energy bills offsetting rising transport and other costs.

However, Union of Students in Ireland (USI) president Gary Redmond said thousands of prospective students will find college doors slammed in their faces because of a 5% cut in student grants and ineligibility of Back-to-Education Allowance recipients to also qualify for grants.

“Despite prices generally falling, the cost of education continues to soar. Any possible moves by the Government to reintroduce third-level fees or further reductions in the maintenance grant will now certainly put third level beyond the reach of many families,” he said.

CHANGING SCHOOL BOOK LISTS GIVE PARENTS A HEADACHE

SCHOOL books are the items on which parents are spending most time trying to find savings — but they are frustrated by changes to book lists every year.

Families surveyed by schooldays.ie are spending an average of just under €700 this month as they prepare to send children back to school, but the website’s operators said their second-hand books section is the busiest area during the summer months.

Almost half of parents said they will search recycling and community websites for free and second-hand books, bags and uniforms this year.

Of those surveyed for Bank of Ireland Life on the website, 97% of parents said they believe school books should only be changed every five years at least to allow them buy second-hand copies, particularly for those looking to save money by passing books on to other siblings. A similar proportion of participants believe the transition year taken by most students after Junior Certificate should be optional because of the extra costs associated with it.

As in previous years, many families are buying larger uniforms rather than have to buy again during the school year for growing children, and 90% support the idea of school crest badges that could be affixed to standard uniforms bought from supermarkets.

As financial pressure on families to put their children through school continues, almost two-thirds of parents believe their children should wear their school uniform on First Communion and Confirmation days. Almost the same proportion have to give their children extra money for school supplies and fundraising at least once a month, in addition to average voluntary contributions of €147 and €184 for primary and second level pupils, respectively.