SCHOOL uniform costs are growing while help available to pay for them is shrinking, says a new report.
A Citizens' Advice report says parents on low incomes are struggling to afford the average £185 a year it can take to kit out a child for the new school year.
But a survey by the national charity shows school clothing grants are now available in fewer parts of the country and are worth less than they were two years ago.
In the Yorkshire and Humberside region 60% of councils offer grants, as against 67% in 2001.
Support across the region is patchy, but with costs averaging £185 a year, the average grant when a child starts secondary school is £51.27.
In Kirklees, the school clothing voucher scheme is means-tested, with parents being eligible only if they are receiving a variety of benefits.
For children up to 11, parents receive £25 a year in vouchers and for 11 to 15-year- olds £31.35 a year.
The vouchers have to spent in designated shops.
Citizens' Advice chief executive David Harker said: "It is clear that action is needed at national level to safeguard these schemes and ensure they are extended to cover all children in low-income families.
"Without this, the value and availability of these grants will continue to decline and children's education risks being damaged as a result."
The charity is calling for more generous and more consistent help with uniform costs for parents on low incomes, in order to prevent social exclusion starting in the classroom.
