Council move to protect hundreds of Fife children set to lose right to clothing grant

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Approximately 300 children in Fife stood to lose their school clothing grant entitlement prior to a unanimous Fife Council Cabinet decision this week.

It’s all due to the UK Government’s ongoing push to migrate people on “legacy benefits”, including Tax Credits, onto Universal Credit.

The committee met on Thursday and decided unanimously to protect those families who have been, or will be, migrated to the new benefits system.

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“The migration of those currently eligible for Tax Credits to Universal Credit will result in a reduction in those who qualify for this benefit,” a committee report said. “The proposals will reverse the reductions seen in clothing grants awarded which have reduced between 2021 to 2024 by around 1200.”

Approximately 300 children in Fife stood to lose their school clothing grant entitlement (Pic: klimkin/Pixabay)Approximately 300 children in Fife stood to lose their school clothing grant entitlement (Pic: klimkin/Pixabay)
Approximately 300 children in Fife stood to lose their school clothing grant entitlement (Pic: klimkin/Pixabay)

It continued: “The recommendation would ensure that those who have been eligible for school clothing grants for their children under the tax credit system will continue to be eligible once they have moved over to Universal Credit.”

The committee unanimously supported the changes, but Councillor Cara Hilton, Labour education spokesperson, said: “I think we probably should have done it sooner.”

Councillor Lesley Backhouse (SNP for Burntisland, Kinghorn and Western Kirkcaldy) was also pleased to see the changes come forward: “At one of my surgeries, I had a single mum come and she was in this exact category. For the people who are really struggling, this is a really welcome change.”

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Councillor Judy Hamilton (Labour for Kirkcaldy Central) welcomed the decision to protect families in Fife from losing their school clothing grant, but she also raised concerns about those same families losing access to free school meals.

“I’ve come across families who have fallen into this trap where they’ve moved from Tax Credit onto Universal Credit and they don’t qualify for free school meals anymore,” she said.

Mr Robertson confirmed this was an issue. Fife’s clothing grant was previously based on Holyrood’s criteria for free school meals, but Mr Robertson acknowledged that families previously at risk of losing their Fife Council clothing grant could also be at risk of losing free school meals.

He said:.“We have raised it with the Education Directorate at the Scottish Government. It is something they’re looking at, but we haven’t had any update yet.”

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Mr Robertson added: “We do need to do something. For our clothing grant we’ve identified 300 children who when they migrate to Universal Credit won’t be eligible. So they won’t be eligible for free school meals either.”

The qualifying criteria for Fife Council’s school clothing grant includes families in receipt of Income Support, Job Seeker’s Allowance (Income Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related), Child Tax Credit only with annual income below £19,995; Universal Credit, with monthly earned income of no more than £1666; Support Under Part VI of Immigration & Asylum Act 1999; Long Term Incapacity Benefit (clothing grant only); Widows Allowance if not in full time employment (clothing grant only); and Child and Working Tax Credit with annual income below £19,995 (clothing grant only).

The changes will be applied retrospectively from August 2024 to cover the entire 2024/25 school term.

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