Minister Calleary opens applications for the 2025 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

More than 114,000 families will automatically receive the allowance in July

Over €54 million provided for the scheme this year

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has today announced the opening of applications for the 2025 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

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 rate of payment for 2025 is €160 for children aged 4 - 11 and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Commenting on the scheme, Minister Calleary said:

“I am delighted to announce that the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for 2025 opens for applications today.

“I recognise the pressure that families are under in relation to back-to-school costs and have secured €54.4 million for the scheme this year.”

The majority of payments will be paid automatically with no application required. The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be paid automatically to more than 114,000 families in respect of approximately 197,000 children during the week beginning 14th July 2025.

The Department of Social Protection is currently processing these payments and families will receive confirmation informing them of their automatic entitlement on their MyWelfare account or by post. This will result in approximately €42 million being paid to these families during the week beginning 14th July.

Families who do not receive notification from the Department of an automated payment should make an application online on www.MyWelfare.ie, even if they received a payment last year. Online applications can be made from Monday, 9th June.

Minister Calleary added:

“More than 75% of payments under this scheme will be paid without the need to make an application. My Department will issue automatic payments to more than 114,000 families in July and I would urge all families to check their eligibility for this important scheme.”

Notes

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 rates of payment for the 2025 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme are €160 for children aged 4-11 years on or before 30th September 2025 and €285 for children aged 12-22 years on or before 30th 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 the 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 9.00am to 5.00pm. People also have the choice of emailing 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 30th September 2025.

Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available at www.gov.ie/bscfa.

County Breakdown of recipients below

Dublin 30,454

Carlow 1,906

Cavan 1,906

Clare 2,572

Cork 10,733

Donegal 5,064

Galway 5,068

Kerry 3,688

Kildare 4,676

Kilkenny 1,720

Laois 2,131

Leitrim 970

Limerick 5,067

Longford 1,545

Louth 4,695

Mayo 3,262

Meath 4,020

Monaghan 1,551

Offaly 2,130

Roscommon 1,504

Sligo 1,634

Tipperary 4,192

Waterford 3,601

Westmeath 2,446

Wexford 4,628

Wicklow 3,248

Total 114,411