Crawley MP backs action to cut costs for parents ahead of new school year

Families across Crawley will see the cost of going to school slashed even further from September, as Labour confirms caps on branded uniforms and more free breakfast clubs.

Best Start free breakfasts clubs are already delivering cumulative savings of nearly £25million to families by serving up over 10 million free breakfasts and five million hours of free childcare. For a family using their club every day that’s worth up to £450 and 95 hours a year, with evidence showing that children arrive more settled and better prepared to learn the moment the school day begins.

The Labour Government is also publishing strengthened statutory guidance this week telling schools to take more steps to bring down the cost of individual items, especially for more expensive items like blazers and jumpers, in time for the 2027 school year. The Conservatives and Reform UK deemed the cost-saving measure ‘interference.’

Taken together, going back to school could be up to £1,000 cheaper for many families in Crawley, with an extra £500 a year saving for parents through the expansion of free school meals to every household on Universal Credit.

Labour is also making it easier for families to enjoy the Summer holidays with the Government’s Great British Summer Saving scheme. From now until September, VAT has been cut on children’s meals in restaurants, family tickets to theatres and cinemas, and tickets for family attractions, alongside free bus travel for children aged five to 15 in England throughout August.

MP for Crawley, Peter Lamb, said:

“Households with children are the most likely part of the UK to be living in poverty, so helping families to make ends meet and give children a better start in life should be central to the work of any caring Government. The measures already announced by Labour since the party’s return to office mean that the UK is experiencing the fastest reduction in poverty in the country’s history.”