GH, R (on the application of) v The Mayor of London

Stephen Broach KC and Alice Irving (instructed by Rook Irwin Sweeney LLP) for the Claimants Dan Squires KC and Katy Sheridan (instructed by Transport for London Legal) for the Defendant Hearing date: 23 May 2024 ____________________

i) The majority of Charedi children in London attend independent faith schools and members of the Charedi community consider attending faith schools integral to their religious identity and beliefs.

ii) Independent Charedi faith schools are charitable institutions funded partly by parents and the community. They charge lower fees than other independent schools. Admission is not generally denied to families unable to pay fees, as many families are not. School meals are not always provided to pupils as part of the package of benefits.

iii) The average Charedi household size is almost two-and-a-half times the size of the average household in the UK. The cost of Kosher food is over two-and-a-half times the cost of non-Kosher equivalents.

iv) Families in the Charedi community often have minimal savings and receive housing benefits and tax credits. Such families are facing financial hardship due to the cost-of-living crisis.