Parents in England are skipping meals and turning to buy-now-pay-later services such as Klarna to afford school uniforms before the autumn term, according to a survey by the parenting charity Parentkind. Almost half (47%) of the 2,000 parents polled said they were worried about uniform costs, which can run into hundreds of pounds due to expensive branded items, while more than a quarter (29%) said they had forgone food or heating to pay for uniforms.
The survey showed struggling parents being forced into debt. Nearly half (45%) of those polled planned to use credit cards to pay for their children’s school uniform, and a third (34%) said they would rely on Klarna-style delayed payment services. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson urged schools to help struggling parents by reducing the number of branded items required, before a forthcoming change in the law.
From September 2026, a limit of three branded items, plus a branded tie for secondary and middle schools, will be enforced under the government’s children’s wellbeing and schools bill. Phillipson wants schools to act sooner on a voluntary basis. “School uniform matters but it shouldn’t break the bank. No family should have to choose between putting food on the table and buying a new blazer,” she said.
Currently, schools can require parents to buy multiple branded items, often from specialist suppliers, pushing total uniform costs up to £400 including PE kit. Under the new legislation, parents will be able to buy cheaper uniform staples such as shirts or trousers from general retailers. Nearly nine out of ten parents (86%) felt that wearing branded uniforms made no difference to behaviour.
Parentkind’s chief executive, Jason Elsom, said: “Parents have faced the crushing cost of sending their children to school for far too long. Limiting branded school uniform items will make a difference straight away.” Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, added: “Many families face wider financial pressures and cannot afford basic amenities. The rate of child poverty in the UK is simply appalling.”
