27,000 families seek school costs help

More than 5,000 families a week are still applying for Government help with back-to-school costs.

Although a recent Barnardos survey suggests some respite in the expenses of uniforms and books for school children, parents are still struggling to meet the costs and more than 27,000 have already made claims for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

The Department of Social Protection had already made automatic payments of the allowance to 114,300 households in receipt of welfare on a regular basis.