St Helens Council Cancels £50 School Uniform Voucher Scheme

St Helens Council has announced the cancellation of a £50 voucher scheme intended to assist families with school uniform costs. This decision comes as the new school year begins and follows a review of the council's spending.

The scheme was initially launched by the previous Labour administration earlier this year but has been scrapped by the current Reform UK-led authority, as stated by council leader George Woodward. He noted that this initiative was part of several programs being halted to save the council £2 million.

Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram expressed concern that this decision would negatively impact struggling families during a challenging financial period. Woodward mentioned that the council has faced budgetary issues for four consecutive years, leading to reliance on reserves to maintain financial balance.