Dawn Bowden MS, Welsh Labour’s Member of the Senedd for Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney, has welcomed the announcement from Welsh Labour’s Education Minister, Jeremy Miles, that families in Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney will receive a cash boost to help with school costs.
A £13m support package to help families pay for school uniforms and PE kits was announced by the Minister at the Welsh Labour party conference.
The extra help comes as the cost-of-living crisis is deepening, as fuel and energy prices soar in the wake of the Ukrainian conflict and new UK Government tax rises are due to come into force next month.
The new funding will provide families across Wales, who are eligible for help through the Pupil Development Access Grant, with a one-off £100 top-up payment in 2022-23 to help with the costs of sending their children to school. It is part of the Welsh Labour Government’s Household Support Fund and is directly aimed at helping households meet the rising costs-of-living.
It follows recent announcements by the Welsh Labour Government to extend the PDG Access Grant to learners in all school years who are eligible for free school meals and £21.4m to extend free school meal provision through the Easter, Whitsun and summer holidays.
Welcoming the news, Dawn Bowden MS said:
“Families in Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney are living with the consequences of the Tory cost-of-living crisis. Household budgets are under significant pressure and many parents will be worried about how they can afford the things their children need for school.
“While the UK Conservative Government drags its feet, Welsh Labour is acting to support households across Wales. Families in receipt of the PDG Access Grant have already benefited from a £200 payment to help pay for their children’s school uniform. This extra payment will help cover other costs, such as PE kits, school shoes and other equipment, helping household budgets go a little bit further.
“I am pleased that the Welsh Labour Government is continuing to provide help and support to families at this increasingly difficult time and removing any financial barriers to education.”
The extra funding for PDG Access complements Welsh Labour’s commitments to help families with the cost of the school day.
Children in Wales, funded by the Welsh Labour Government, is working with schools across Wales to make a real difference for their pupils by supporting school leaders and teaching staff with this issue.