TSM, the uniform allowance was, the last year or so, £367 free of tax. Therefore if you pay tax at 22% it was worth the grand total of £80.74. Next year, if it is not increased it will fall to £73.40. If you are fortunate enough to pay tax at 40% then the allowance is £146.80.
A few years ago, when the allowance was just over £360 the total value over 5 years was about £400. The cost of working dress, is shoes, socks, shirt, trousers and sweater, over 5 years and based on the life of each was exactly the same £400.
The allowance did not cover No 1s, No 5, dress shirts, SD Hats, Forage Caps, Flasher Mac, Bomber Jacket, Leather jacket etc. If you did buy any of these items then you could claim the income tax back - ie for a £100 cap you could get £22 back.
So what happens? Officers wear their uniforms far longer than airmen. Even the CAS, Sir Michael Graden had holes in his woolly pully when he visited Waddo a few years ago.