Schools across Greater Manchester may have just broken up for the summer holidays, but that means parents only have a few weeks to prepare for the new term.
After six-weeks of no homework, late nights, and plenty of summer fun eventually comes to an end, the new school year serves as a fresh start for millions of school children across the UK, but for some parents, guardians, and caregivers, it can end up being a pretty expensive time – with the cost of school uniform often being a bit of a burden.
Luckily though, plenty of local councils nationwide – including a few right here in Greater Manchester – are on hand to offer some financial support.
The School Uniform Grant 2022 is now open to applications.
Unfamiliar with what it’s all about? Well, the School Uniform Grant is government-run scheme ran by local councils that was introduced a few years back with the aim of helping low-income families purchase school uniforms for their children.
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You can get a £200 maximum non-repayable grant, however amounts depends on your local authority and individual circumstances.
Who is eligible?
If your local council does offer the School Uniform Grant, then you should be able to claim it if you can prove that you’re on a low income, or receive at least one of the following benefits:
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Child tax credit
Income support
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
Income-related employment and support allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of pension credit
Universal Credit
Working tax credit run-on
The School Uniform Grant 2022 is now open to applications / Credit: Flickr
Which councils offer grants? And how much can I claim?
As of 2022, unfortunately only three councils in the Greater Manchester region have School Uniform Grants open to apply to.
Bolton Council, Bury Council, and Stockport Council each have running grant schemes.
Bolton Council – Up to £30 per child
Bury Council – Up to £50 per child
Stockport Council – £40 per child
How do I apply?
Once again, applications for the 2022 School Uniform Grant differ depending on the local council you’re applying to.
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Bolton
If you already receive housing benefit or council tax support, help towards school uniform will be given automatically and you don’t need to apply, and similarly, if you have already applied for free school meals, then Bolton Council will look at help with school uniform at the same time, so you don’t need to apply separately
But if you don’t receive housing benefit or council tax support, then you’ll need to apply for help with school uniform here.
Bury
Payments will be made to eligible families during May and June.
There is no need to apply, as the scheme will be administered through schools to those eligible in the same way that the Bury Council-funded food voucher scheme has operated in the last two years.
Stockport
In Stockport, the School Uniform Grant is for children in years 7 to year 11 at secondary school who receive free school meals.
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You can apply for the grant at any time if you’re eligible and you or your children live in Stockport, but if you do not meet the criteria, you may still be able to apply for the grant if the uniform has been damaged in a fire or flood, or your child has changed schools and they need a new uniform.
If your child is in year 7, they’ll receive the compulsory badged uniform, and if they’re in years 8 to 11, then you’ll receive a £40 credit to spend at the nominated school uniform supplier.
Three councils in the Greater Manchester region have School Uniform Grants open to apply to / Credit: Elton High School
What do I need to apply?
When applying for the School Uniform Grant, you’ll need your proof of address (a utility bill or council tax statement, etc), proof of identity (a driver’s license or passport), and proof of guardianship of your child (birth certificate or adoption papers).
You’ll also need a recent bank statement that proves your income or confirms that you are receiving one of the benefits required for eligibility.
Alternatively, you can use a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
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Can’t get a grant from your council? Ask your school for help
With only three Greater Manchester councils offering School Uniform Grants in 2022, this will inevitably leave many people still struggling to cover the costs, but MoneySavingExpert explains that plenty schools across the UK still offer support to families who need financial assistance with uniforms in a number of ways.
The most common example of financial support schools take is by allocating vouchers towards the cost, and you are encouraged to check in, ask for help, and see what’s available.
It’s also worth checking if your school has any second-hand uniform sales too.
Sir David Jason set for TV return in Only Fools and Horses documentary Christmas special
Danny Jones
In a surprise bit of festive news, the only and only Sir David Jason is returning for an Only Fools and Horses Christmas special this December. Lovely jubbly!
The best-loved and most-watched British comedy of all time will be back on our screens in documentary form this festive season, with Del Boy himself David Jason revisiting the iconic comedy character after 20 years he last played him on screen.
While the legendary sitcom was broadcast on BBC back in the day, the highly-anticipated Only Fools doc will be airing on Channel 5 right before Christmas as a special one-off programme.
Looking back on the show’s incredible run on UK screens over seven series and the several ‘Christmas Cracker’ specials, specifically, the latest Only Fools and Horses documentary will see Jason and a number of other guests appearing to chat about the legendary show.
The release date of the Only Fools special Christmas documentary is yet to be announced.
While it’s still unclear how many of the original cast will be appearing, Jason’s on-screen wife Tessa Peake-Jones (Raquel) is confirmed to be appearing along with other special guests including newscaster Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Bendiorm‘s Sherrie Hewson.
Sadly, a full theatrical reunion just isn’t on the cards following the deaths of Roger Lloyd Pack (Trigger), Kenneth MacDonald (Mike the Landlord) and Buster Merryfield (Uncle Albert) in the 30 years since the show ended its run.
Only Fools writer John Sullivan also sadly passed away aged 64 in 2011 and fellow co-star Nicholas Lyndhurst, a.k.a. Rodney Trotter, told Metro: “We can’t. John is no longer with us. John was the driving force of the show and we have also lost quite a few cast members now.
“I don’t think I could do it without them and I certainly couldn’t do it without John. At the risk of depressing everyone, I think the last two times I’ve seen David has been at funerals.”
Simply entitled, ‘The Story Of Only Fools And Horses At Christmas’, the 90-minute special is yet to have its broadcast date fully confirmed but you best keep your eyes peeled on the TV guide — we’ll let you know as soon we do.
Jason, 81, has only just recovered from hip surgery earlier this year, so it’ll be nice to see his familiar grin back on our screens.
Right, we’re off to binge a whole series on UK Gold.
Scott McTominay jokes he’s ‘fuming’ he didn’t score a hat-trick against Chelsea as he reflects on Man United’s mentality
Danny Jones
Scott McTominay has joked he’s “fuming” with himself after failing to score a hat-trick in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday nightand shed some light on the mentality around Old Trafford.
McTominay starred in the Red Devils’ win over Mauricio Pochettino’s side on a cold night at home, managing to bag a brace with a goal in the first and second half to get his squad over the line, but he himself said he could have had more.
Speaking to MUTV after the game, the 26-year-old said he and the squad knew they needed to drum up a reaction after the Newcastle disappointment, adding that contributing more goals is something he wants to keep working on and insisting that plenty of people back him to do so.
Confessing that his mum, dad and grandad have all been encouraging him to “get in the box” and that he just needs to “believe in [him]self and go for it”, the Scotsman did go on to quip he was “fuming” to not grab a third as he shook his head went on to shake and reveal a wry smile.
Scott McTominay was the match-winner against Chelsea.
Commentator and presenter Stewart Gardner went on to list McTominay’s impressive stats this season, having now scored 14 goals in his last 33 appearances for club and country. A seriously good rate from a midfielder typically entrusted to help link play and break things up in the middle of the park.
Now boasting half a dozen goals and an assist across all competitions so far this campaign, he sits as the club’s leading goalscorer in the Premier League with five finishes to his name — with only Bruno Fernandes having contributed more (five goals and five assists) — he’s genuinely become one of Man United’s main goal threats.
While he recently rubbished talk that he played as a striker regularly coming up through the youth academy, simply having been deployed for the odd game in reality, he has always had a shot on him and it isn’t the first time he’s bagged a winner or a big goal for the Reds. This wasn’t a bad one either:
Chatting with the pundits on Amazon Prime Sport, he reiterated that he could have had “one or two more” on another night and agreed that the performance against Newcastle in the previous fixture was “pretty abysmal”, holding his hands up to admit that it was “no way near good enough”.
Reflecting on the later chance he had to seal the hat-trick towards the end of the game, he said he simply needed to “calm down on the last one”.
As for the mentality to get the result during a difficult period where the club remained under a lot of scrutiny from pundits and fans alike, McTominay went on to say that the manager is responsible for the way they played and some “lighter training sessions to keep energy levels up” definitely helped.
Regardless, he was sure to not get ahead of himself and assured ten Hag‘s team were still taking things a game at a time. You can watch the full highlights from Manchester United vs Chelsea down below: