Clothing Grant - Hardship Fund
Background
The Clothing Grant Scheme is non-statutory. It was offered in Tameside until May 2012 through central government funding. Since then, Tameside has acted in line with many other local authorities and no longer has a clothing grant scheme. The Council retains a small amount of money to support parents/ cares in exceptional circumstances. The fund will only be available through professional referral which does include school.Applications for a grant
Applications should be made only where there are exceptional circumstances and these circumstances have an impact on the parents/carers ability to provide uniform. Financial hardship on its own will not be accepted as qualifying criteria as families have access to mainstream benefits. The circumstances which would be considered would be one off events such as;- Families fleeing domestic violence where they are forced to change school or have to leave uniform items behind.
- Families who have belongings including uniform destroyed in a fire or flood.
- Parents’ carers of children who have an enforced change of school e.g. children with statements where a new school is identified on the statement or excluded pupils moving back into mainstream school.
- Asylum seekers who are moved at short notice resulting in an enforced change of school. ( asylum seeking families only receive 60% of the benefits received by resident families)
Referrals will only be accepted by a professional working with the family this will include school, parents are unable to self-refer