Families in need of back-to-school support failing to qualify for allowance, survey finds [IrishTimes]
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 03 August 2011 15:27
STRICT CRITERIA surrounding back-to-school allowances are excluding families who need them, according to the children’s charity Barnardos.
In its annual school costs survey, the organisation estimates the average cost of sending a child to junior infants this year is €350, rising to €805 for a student starting secondary school.
Despite the recession, the majority of respondents to the survey of more than 500 parents said that this represented a rise in costs.
“My husband is unemployed and I am on minimum wage, yet we still don’t qualify for the [back-to-school clothing and footwear] allowance,” one parent quoted in the survey said. “It’s disgraceful it is so hard to make sure our children are provided for.”
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
