SVP fields hundreds of calls from strapped parents ahead of school return

Many of the 300 calls to SVP related to requests for financial help with parental contributions, schoolbooks, digital equipment, and help with the cost of school uniforms.

St Vincent de Paul has warned of the back-to-school pressures on families after revealing it fielded 300 calls from parents last week in relation to the costs of the new term.

The charity said the number of calls it has received this year for help with school costs are up 10% compared to previous years.