Having navigated the inevitable expenses of Christmas and the holiday period, it will soon be time to send them back to school.

But for hundreds of local low to middle-income families across Bendigo and its surrounds, that task has become substantially more difficult.

For the first time since 2013, these parents will not have access to the federal government’s Schoolkids Bonus scheme.

The payments, a Gillard government initiative that replaced the Education Tax Refund, provided $430 for eligible primary school children and $856 for eligible secondary school children.

The scheme was axed after then Prime Minister Tony Abbott struck a deal with former millionaire parliamentarian Clive Palmer in 2014.

Its absence will leave a substantial hole in the budgets of an estimated 1.3 million low to middle-income families.

All but the very wealthiest Australian families are already feeling the pinch from the rapidly rising cost of living.

The loss of this payment will only exacerbate that pain.

It is not cheap to send a child to school, regardless of whether it is a public or private institution.

There are uniforms, shoes, books, bags and, in many cases, computers that must be purchased.

Then there is the additional cost associated with essentials like excursions, sporting registrations and school formals that pile up throughout the year.

It is little wonder than support agencies such as UnitingCare Bendigo and St Vincent de Paul Bendigo are bracing for a rush of requests for assistance.

Max Blume, the emergency relief manager at UnitingCare Bendigo, put it in stark terms to the Bendigo Advertiser.

“It’s going to be a big concern for everybody,” he said. “It means there’s going to be a lot of families unable to cope this year. Everything is just so expensive.”

Everyone understands that Australia has a significant budget deficit and there are savings that must be made.

But given the profligacy with which the government spends money in so many other areas, it is ludicrous to cut what is effectively an investment in our children’s futures.

- Ross Tyson, deputy editor