Basildon Council to Provide £360 Payments to Aid Students in Further Education

A council has announced its plan to issue a one-off payment of £360 to students for their education, with the goal of helping them overcome financial barriers. Basildon Council in Essex stated it would distribute this grant to 360 teenagers aged 16-19, whose families receive Universal Credit. A spokesperson indicated that the money is designated to cover costs such as tuition, transport, and study materials. Labour council leader Gavin Callaghan remarked that financial pressures were “driving students away from education.” Mr. Callaghan further stated, “Basildon borough has almost unrivalled potential but only if our young people have the skills to step into the jobs emerging here.” The funding for this initiative has been drawn from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the families are scheduled to receive the payments by 31 March. Mr. Callaghan characterized the initiative as a “bit of a pilot” during a live stream on social media, and mentioned that around 2,000 families could be eligible in the future. Basildon was identified as the third most deprived borough in Essex by research conducted for the government in 2019.