Press release
Minister Humphreys opens applications for the 2024 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has today opened applications for the 2024 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is a once-off payment made to eligible families to assist them with the cost of sending their children back to school.
The rate of payment for 2024 is €160 for children aged 4 - 11 and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.
Some €65.2 million has been secured for the scheme this year – with more than 118,000 families set to receive the allowance automatically on the week beginning 8 July.
Commenting today, Minister Humphreys said:
“I am delighted to announce that the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for 2024 opens for applications today.
“This is a very important scheme within my department - recognising the financial pressures that many families face in relation to back-to-school costs.
“I’m pleased to confirm that more than 118,000 families – in respect of 207,000 children - will receive the support automatically next month and are currently being notified by my department.
“Anyone who does not receive a notification can contact my department directly to check their eligibility.”
Minister Humphreys concluded:
“Making education as affordable as possible is a key priority for this government.
“As Minister, I’m very proud to be delivering the biggest ever expansion of the Hot School Meals Programme. This scheme began with just 30 schools when I became Minister. Under this expansion, the Hot School Meals Programme will grow to over 2,000 schools.
“My ambition is that every primary school child in the country will be receiving a hot meal in 2025. This is well ahead of our original target to make Hot School Meals universal in Primary Schools by 2030.
“As well as that, earlier this year my colleague Minister Norma Foley extended the free schoolbooks scheme, announced in 2023 for primary and special schools, to all Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Some 768,000 children and young people will benefit from the free schoolbooks scheme in the 2024/25 school year.
“We all know that the run-up to the return of the academic year can be a stressful time for parents.
“Therefore, I’m pleased to have secured some €65.2 million for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear scheme this year, which I know will ease the financial pressure on tens of thousands of families.”
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.
It will be paid automatically to more than 118,000 families in respect of approximately 207,000 children during the week beginning 8 July.
The majority of payments will be paid automatically with no application form required.
The Department of Social Protection is currently processing these payments and recipients will receive confirmation informing them of their automatic entitlement, on their MyWelfare account or by post. This will result in approximately €44.2 million paid to these families during the week beginning 8 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 Wednesday, 12 June.
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 also have the option 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 30 September 2024.
Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available at gov.ie/bscfa.