Advice for families ahead of the new school term
With the summer holidays well underway the thoughts of hard-pressed families are turning to meeting the costs of returning to school in a few weeks’ time.
Steve Barras, Development Officer of Just Credit Union, said: “The price of purchasing everything needed to return to school can be a real worry for many families, especially as so many are already under increasing financial pressure.
“The price of a uniform will vary depending on the school, but research by The Children’s Society suggests parents will spend an average of £287 on primary and £422 a year on secondary school uniforms. Just Credit Union recognise that this is a significant cost so want to help people reduced the costs or spread the cost in an affordable way.”
The Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin not-for-profit savings and loans cooperative have put together some hints and tips to help had pressed parents.
Said Steve: “We are all about saving and if you can put away even a small amount each week it will make a real difference - and it’s never too late to start!
“We work with several schools and it’s really encouraging to see how many of them now run uniform exchanges. There are also a number of council and regional schemes. They are a fantastic way to save money and are environmentally friendly. Ask the school or check our social media to find out what’s available in your area.”
Just suggests if you are buying new plan and buy early. Have a look at the school’s uniform list, think about what you really need and, if possible, talk to other parents. Schools and councils have a duty to ensure their uniform options are ‘affordable’. Write down what you need and understand the school’s uniform policy, particularly what must be branded, what does not need to be branded.
Steve said: “Parents should think carefully about how many of each item you really need and then shop around. If you can, choose better quality particularly for shoes, they will last longer and in the long run save money and of course buy big. Once you have what you need label everything, clothes are easily left on the bus, lost on playing fields, or mistakenly taken from coat pegs.”
Just Credit Union warned that if parents do need to borrow to cover back to school cost be careful who from and also be careful with buy now pay later offers.
Steve added: “It’s important if borrowing that it’s with a registered and regulated lender like Just who will ensure any loan is affordable.
“Parents are likely to be offered ‘buy now, pay later’ (BNPL) schemes when buying many items of school clothing. These offers might look harmless and appear to be an attractive option to spread the costs. They are, however, still loans which can have significant long-term consequences.
“The providers make no affordability checks and it is very easy for borrowers to become over committed. Anyone considering a BNPL option should keep a careful track of any commitments of this type and make sure you have a clear means of making these repayments.”
Just Credit Union’s school uniform hints and tips and a guide to using ‘buy now, pay later’ are available on the news section of their website justcreditunion.org.
By Peter Love - Contributor
