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In state news, every child at Victorian public schools and eligible concession cardholders at non-government schools will be given a $400 payment to assist with cost-of-living pressure.

The payment is part of the new School Saving Bonus which is part of the Victorian Budget, which will be delivered today.

The bonus will deliver $287 million to help with school uniforms, camps, sports and school costs.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said this morning the bonus was at the heart of the government’s plan to ease cost-of-living pressures for families right across the state.

“We won’t let any child miss out on the things that make Victorian education great, so we’re giving families the flexibility to use the School Saving Bonus on the things they need – from sports to camps, excursions and uniforms,” she said.

The one-off payment will be delivered through schools to about 700,000 students.

The bonus will be applied for each child, but can be spent per family – so a family with three school children will receive $1,200 in support to spend on school costs.

Support will be provided in two ways: as a credit towards the cost of participating in activities in school and vouchers for parents to help with purchasing school uniforms.

The bonus will be provided during term four, making sure families have time to plan and budget for the 2025 school year.