Minister Calleary announces Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for over 126,000 families

• over €47.5 million to be paid in support of over 126,000 families
• €160 for children aged 4-11; €285 for children aged 12 and over

Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary has announced that over 126,000 families will receive the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance from today.

The payment from the Department of Social Protection is designed to support eligible families with the cost of school uniforms and footwear ahead of the upcoming school term.

The rates of payment for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance are €160 for children aged 4 to 11, and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Overall, payments totalling more than €47.5 million will be made this week to over 126,000 families, in respect of over 221,000 children. A notification of the automated payment is sent to families by post or through their MyWelfare account.

Commenting on the payments, Minister Calleary said:

“I am delighted to announce that the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments for 2025 commence from today.

“This scheme is so important in terms of supporting parents in meeting their back-to-school costs over the coming weeks.

“This week, my department will issue automatic payments to over 126,000 families in respect of over 221,000 children.”

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is also open for applications until 30 September and eligible families are being encouraged to apply. Decisions on these cases will be processed manually and if entitled payment will issue once they are processed.

Minister Calleary added:

“The costs associated with children both starting and returning to school can put a lot of financial pressure on families throughout the country.

“The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides valuable support to families to assist with these costs and I would urge anybody who has not yet applied to check their eligibility for the scheme.”

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.
The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 4 - 11 years on or before 30 September 2025 is €160 while an allowance of €285 is paid for each eligible child aged 12 - 22 years on or before 30 September 2025. Students aged between 18 - 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2025 to retain an entitlement to payment.
The department is providing dedicated phone lines 071-9193318 and 0818-11-11-13 to answer enquiries relating to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance during usual business hours Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. People can also email the department at bscfa@welfare.ie if they have an enquiry regarding their application or entitlement.
The closing date to apply for this year’s Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30 September 2025.
126,000 payments that are being paid automatically are to eligible families who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments.
Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available at www.gov.ie/bscfa.