Ipswich Labour Party candidate Jack Abbott pleads for more action on school uniform prices as the cost of living bites

A plea has been made for further action on school uniform prices as the cost of living crisis worsens.

Jack Abbott, the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Ipswich, feels families are still paying too much despite a recent change in the law.

He said that schools were facing immense costs themselves, and many had already taken steps to ensure their uniforms were cheaper, but encouraged them to give families more choice.

This could be done through exemptions on branded items or through swap shops.

Mr Abbott added: “Many families are really struggling to make ends meet, and the expense of a school uniform is another pressure to contend with.

“I also want to see much more action from the Government - to still enforce VAT on school uniforms is punitive and needs to be scrapped.

"Suffolk County Council could also take the lead from other local authorities and introduce a grant scheme. So much more needs to be done to support families in Ipswich and across Suffolk.”

The Government has implemented a new law designed to make school uniforms more affordable, which comes into effect.

It mandates that schools remove unnecessary branded items from uniforms and allowing more high-street alternatives.

This could allow for a wider selection of uniforms to be used, such as those from supermarkets, or allow parents to hand-down items far more easily.

Conservative MP for Ipswich Tom Hunt has been approached for comment.

According to a report from the Children's Society, the average cost of a uniform for a secondary school student in England is £337.

This drops to £315 for primary school pupils.

According to the charity's survey, which quizzed 1,000 parents, £105 is considered a reasonable price for a secondary school uniform.

The same review said £85 was a good price for a primary school uniform.

Children's Society boss Mark Russell said: “We estimate that this new guidance will save parents and carers about a quarter on average school uniform costs, and anything that can help to relieve the financial pressure on hard pressed families right now is so important.

“Schools need to bring in these new rules and I’ve already heard encouraging news from parents where schools have introduced uniform banks and taken away branded clothing items.

"If parents are worried about the cost of uniforms, we suggest they contact their schools directly ahead of the start of term. If they are still not getting anywhere, then they could contact the school governors or failing that, the Department for Education.”

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