• Less than half of the Crisafulli LNP Government’s Back to School Boost vouchers have actually gone to families in need
• Only one third of the vouchers have delivered the full financial benefit they were designed to deliver
• The Crisafulli LNP Government spruiked the program in the state budget – but the reality is the claimed boost is more of a bust

The Crisafulli LNP Government’s Back to School Boost is failing to deliver the widespread cost of living relief Queenslanders so badly need.

Despite the Premier spruiking the boost as a major cost of living relief measure in this week’s state budget, the reality is the boost is more of a bust.

Of the budgeted $47.1 million in 2025-26 for the vouchers, only $15.2 million had been expended by families at 24 April.

Only one third of the vouchers issued had been fully expended.

Parents have reported massive issues with these vouchers.

Uniforms can only be purchased if uniform shops are run by the schools.

Most schools have uniform shops ran by hardworking P&Cs or by an external third-party – which means many parents can’t even use the vouchers for what the government says.

Parents have also said they were unable to access the vouchers before the start of term.

The Crisafulli LNP Government has mismanaged the scheme so badly that only a fraction of the funding is actually going to Queensland families.

Quotes attributable Labor Leader Steven Miles:

“The Crisafulli LNP Government’s Back to School boost is a bust.

“Like so much with the Crisafulli Government there is a massive chasm between what it says, what it promises, and what it actually delivers.

“It is beyond disappointing that a program that could actually provide some widespread cost of living support is proving impossible to access for the majority of people.

“The Premier has been spruiking the Back to School boost as a signature cost of living relief measure in the budget – but under the LNP it’s not a boost – it’s a bust.”

Quotes attributable Shadow Education Minister Di Farmer:

“David Crisafulli and the LNP need to actually deliver the support they promise to the people who need it.

“And with only a fraction of the vouchers getting used and even fewer getting used in full, then clearly there are major issues with how the Back to School Boost is administered.

“David Crisafulli and his LNP Government have a track record of promising and not delivering, a fondness for the photo op but a reluctance to follow up.

“The Back to School Boost is busted and David Crisafulli has to fix it.”

Case Study - Cairns

One parent from Cairns told the Opposition their school raised the Student Resource Scheme to $100.

That same school does not have an on-site uniform shop, so they cannot use the voucher for uniforms.

This has meant that the school has opted to apply all vouchers to the increased Student Resource Scheme.

Parents at this school did not see a single cent go towards what they need.

Case Study – Moreton Bay

Another parent from the Moreton Bay region told the Opposition that because the P&F run the uniform shop, parents cannot use any of the Back to School Boost for uniforms.

This is despite the government explicitly highlighting school uniforms in their marketing campaign.

The parent said she was hopeful what is an apparent logistical issue (payments between two entities, the school and the P&F) “doesn’t impede on a child’s accessibility to school uniforms.”