There has been an “overwhelming demand” for financial help from people working in schools, including teachers, support staff and headteachers, seeking charity support to make ends meet.
The Education Support charity has revealed today that it has seen a 60 per cent increase in applications for grants from people who need financial assistance.
The charity says that while housing costs were previously the most common reason for applying, it is seeing an increasing number of people applying for grants to cover their weekly food shop or petrol costs.
Writing for Tes, Sinéad Mc Brearty, CEO of Education Support, warned that the charity has had to pause applications for new grants for August to try to be able to meet the expected demand across the year.
She said the demand from those working in education for immediate financial help is “soaring”.
She added: “We’ve seen a 60 per cent rise in applications for financial support compared to last year.
“Previously, housing costs were the top reason for applying. Now we’re seeing more and more people in need of money for the weekly food shop or petrol to get to work.”
Ms Mc Brearty said the charity is increasingly hearing from individuals affected by domestic violence and abuse and relationship breakdowns, which, she added, “can have dire consequences for families’ financial and emotional stability”.
She said: ”Our charity is perhaps best known for the emotional support helpline that provides people working in education with 24/7 access to fully qualified counsellors. But we also support those in education who need immediate financial help. The demand for the latter service is soaring.”
Ms Mc Brearty said that a job in education used to mean a certain level of status and financial stability but warned that, now, “for those raising a family on a single income after a relationship breakdown, or young people trying to make a start on their own, this is no longer a guarantee”.
She added: “We have seen classroom teachers, supply teachers, teaching assistants and even headteachers approach us in anguish to ask for help to pay for food, energy bills or white goods that they can’t afford to repair.”
You can donate to Education Support using this link.
