Good morning. Have you ever felt astounded by the cost of school uniforms? You wouldn’t be alone. Add a school logo onto that and it can hike the price up even more, with most schools demanding that pupils wear at least some branded items.

The government’s setting out to change that. It’s limiting the amount of branded school uniform items schools can require in England, in a move that will save families around £50 per child. Schools will only be allowed to enforce three branded items beyond a tie – that's not just logos, but any items you can't buy in a regular shop.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments have told schools that branded items of uniform should not be compulsory. 

The average cost of school uniform was £249.58 in 2023, a slight decrease from 2015, government data shows, with 86% of parents reporting their child’s school requiring branded uniform, increasing to 98% for secondary schools.

But even without branding, school uniform costs can feel extortionate. In this week’s newsletter, we meet Rachel Toms, who gets by on benefits and is struggling to afford school uniforms for her children.

Also this week, we meet Deborah, a woman with a heart condition who was hit with a revenge eviction after asking her landlord for simple repairs. The government’s Renters’ Rights Bill is set to scrap ‘no-fault eviction’ notices like these. Read to the end to find out more…

If you have a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Rachel’s story: ‘It’s been a nightmare’

Rachel tots up how much it’ll cost to buy her daughter’s branded school uniform. It’s £37.60 for a blazer, £26.20 for a long-sleeve PE t-shirt, £27.95 for a skirt with the precise tartan pattern demanded by the school, £23.80 for a jumper. It’s easily more than £100, and that’s assuming spilled paint or playground scrapes don’t force her to buy replacements. 

“It just seems ridiculous how strict they’re getting with it. If you’re going to send a child home because they’ve got the wrong sort of trousers, that’s a day of education they’re missing,” she says. “I don’t think the schools appreciate the circumstances of what we’re going through to get them to school every day.”

When all four of her kids were in school, it was a constant juggling act for Toms, who gets by on universal credit and disability benefits.

“I’ve never been able to afford where they’ve had more than one skirt,” she says. “It’s been a nightmare basically. It spirals I think, to have to fork all of that out at the beginning of the school holidays.”

The new rules which will mean the school cannot enforce branded items will be useful for Toms, but not nearly enough as she struggles to cope with the cost of living.

“With the high rising cost of everything, every penny is going to be absorbed into clothes and food and heating,” she says. “£50 doesn’t even get you two bags of shopping at the moment.”

Read Rachel’s story and more about the changes Labour is planning for school uniforms and find out where to get help if you’re struggling to afford school uniforms here.

In case you missed it

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Government rejects MPs' bid to cap record-high rents as Renters' Rights Bill passes through Commons. Renters will save up to £8,000 in advance rent payments after MPs voted for a number of changes to the Renters’ Rights Bill. Get the story.

Retailers warn there's 'little hope of prices going anywhere but up' – while they make huge profits. Food prices are set to rise by an average of 4.2% in the latter half of the year, which will hit the poorest households the hardest. Find out more.

'Rushed implementation' of AI in DWP benefits system could 'harm' people, experts fear. Experts are concerned that the 'historical data used to train AI may perpetuate bias and discrimination' within the benefits system. Get the story.

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Woman, 72, with heart condition hit with revenge eviction after asking landlord for simple repairs

Deborah received a section 21 eviction notice, also known as a no-fault eviction, after she complained about problems with her home and her landlord doubled her rent – it’s a nightmare that left her with sleepless nights.

The 72-year-old from Sheffield said she has been unable to retire due to the financial pressures of the housing crisis following her revenge eviction. The situation has left her and her partner with declining mental and physical health and struggling to get by.

“I felt under constant pressure, all day, every day. Every time I opened my email, there were new property listings that were unaffordable, or emails about our old one. My partner Malcolm and I both had sleepless nights, and my heart condition worsened – causing extreme tiredness and high blood pressure. 

“We weren’t functioning properly; we were just addled by the stress and lack of sleep. I started making mistakes at work, and at one point, I felt like the stress was rendering me unable to do my job.” 

A total of 57% of people experiencing housing pressures in England have been kept awake at night over the past year due to worries including high rents, poor conditions and the risk of eviction, according to new research from Shelter. 

The government’s Renters’ Rights Bill is set to scrap section 21 evictions like the one Debroah received. It had its third reading in parliament this week and is likely to come into force this year.

Read Deborah’s story here and here’s what you need to know if you’re served a section 21 eviction notice.