Operational Guidelines: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Scheme

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme is a non-statutory scheme which provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The scheme operates from 1 June to 30 September each year.

• the allowance is paid in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 on or before 30 September and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 on or before 30 September if returning to full time second level education. (evidence of returning to second level education may be requested for children aged 18 or over)
• Child Support Payment (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child) must be paid to the applicant in respect of the child for whom the allowance is being claimed
• the applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment as listed in ANNEX A
• the assessable income for the household must be within a set income limit. (See Income Limits below)
• the applicant must be resident in the state
• the child(ren) must be resident in the state

To qualify for BSCFA, the household income must be less than the amounts set out in the Income Limits below. All dependent children are taken into account for the Income Limits, including children under 4 and children aged 18 to 22 who are in third level education.

The household income includes weekly social protection payments, gross income from employment, minus employees PRSI and a €20 travel allowance and any other income the household may have.

Any income from Child Benefit, Rent Supplement, Working Family Payment, Back to Work Family Dividend, Guardian’s Payments, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Blind Welfare Allowance, Foster Care Allowance, Higher Level Education grants, or rehabilitative employment (up to €165 per week) is not assessable.

Weekly Income Limits

Weekly income limits 2024

• The income limit is increased by €54.00 for each additional dependent child.

Guardians

Guardian’s payments is a qualifying payment for BSCFA. The Guardian’s Payment (Contributory and Non-Contributory) is not assessable.

Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit

Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit are qualifying payments where no Child Support Payment (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child) is made subject to the other conditions of the scheme being met.

Foster children

BSCFA is not payable in respect of foster children. The financial support available to foster parents from Tusla – the Child and Family Agency (Foster Care Allowance), includes assistance with the cost of clothing and footwear for the foster child.

There are two rates of payment. They are age related.

The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 4-11 on or before 30 September 2024 is €160.

The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12-22 on or before 30 September 2024 is €285.00. Children aged between 18 and 22 years must be returning to full time Second Level education in a recognised school or college.

The rates are set out in the Rates of Payment booklet- SW19

Through a matching process in the Department, many customers will receive the BSCFA payment automatically. Award notifications issue to these customers’ MyWelfare accounts or by post in June.

If a customer has not received an award notification for BSCFA by the end of June and the customer is in receipt of a weekly social protection payment, the customer will need to apply for BSCFA online on www.MyWelfare.ie, even if the customer received the payment last year.

To apply online the customer must have a verified MyGovID account. If the customer does not have a verified MyGovID account, the customer can contact the BSCFA contact centre on 071 91 93318 or 0818 11 11 13 and our officers will be able to facilitate the customer becoming MyGovID verified.

The closing date for applying for BSCFA is 30 September 2024.

Qualifying Payments for the BSCFA

Social Insurance Payments

1. Deserted Wife's Benefit

2. Illness Benefit

3. Disablement Benefit

4. Carer's Benefit

5. Health and Safety Benefit

6. Invalidity Pension

7. Injury Benefit

8. State Pension (Contributory)

9. Partial Capacity Benefit

10. Jobseeker's Benefit

11. Widow's/Widower's/Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension

12. Guardian's Payment (Contributory)

13. Maternity Benefit

14. Adoptive Benefit

Social Assistance Payments

15. Blind Person's Pension

16. Carer's Allowance

17. Deserted Wife's Allowance

18. Disability Allowance

19. Working Family Payment

20. Farm Assist

21. State Pension (Non-Contributory)

22. One Parent Family Payment

23. Supplementary Welfare Allowance

24. Jobseeker's Allowance

25. Widow's Widower’s Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension

26. Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)

Other Payments

27. Social Security Payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement (of which there is an Irish equivalent payment)

28. Payments to participants on approved work placement or income support schemes. These include Back to Work Family Dividend, Community Employment, Community Services Programme, Tús, Gateway, Short Term Enterprise Allowance, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Jobs Initiative, Youthreach, Rural Social Scheme and Springboard Initiative

29. Payments to participants on a recognised education and training course such as a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) or Back to Education Allowance

30. Daily Expenses Allowance

31. Participants on non-craft, full-time, SOLAS/FÁS training schemes, CERT and LES training schemes.

• Return to main scheme page.