The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) helps you meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
You (the parent or guardian) must be getting certain social welfare payments or payments for training, employment schemes or adult education for at least 6 weeks between 1 June and 30 September and your child/ren must be aged between 4 and 22 on or before 30 September of the year you apply.
The 2012 scheme will open on 1 June 2012.
In 2012 the Department of Social Protection will pay BTSCFA automatically to a large number of qualified people.This means that many families do not have to apply for the payment. If you received this payment last year and your circumstances have not changed you should receive a letter by mid-June stating when and how your allowance will be paid. If you haven’t received a notification letter by mid-June and are eligible for the allowance, you should make an application. Application forms will be available by mid-June in all social welfare offices and on the Department’s website welfare.ie.
If you do not receive an automatic payment you must apply for the Allowance.
You may qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you are:
Your child must be aged between 4-22 on or before 30 September. If they are aged between 18-22 they must be in full-time education in a recognised school or college.
In general you must be getting an Increase for a Qualified Child with your payment. There are some exceptions to this. For example, you may be getting a qualifying payment but you are not getting an increase for your child (because the rules of the scheme do not provide for a child payment) – Maternity Benefit or Adoptive Benefit are examples. In such cases you can still claim BSCFA if you satisfy the other criteria. In other cases a qualified child increase is not paid because the income of your spouse or partner is over the specified limits but if your overall household income is within the limits specified below you may qualify.
To qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, your total household income must be less than the amounts set out in the table below.
Your total household income includes your main social welfare or Health Service Executive payment, the income of any dependent children on the Youthreach Programme and any other income you may have including wages (before tax, but excluding PRSI and a standard travel allowance of up to €20 per week), maintenance, savings and investments.
Savings and investments (including property, but not your home) are assessed as follows:
| Capital | Weekly means assessed |
| First €5,000 | not taken into account |
| Next €10,000 | €1 per €1,000 |
| Next €25,000 | €2 per €1,000 |
| Balance | €4 per €1,000 |
Any income you get from Rent
Supplement or Mortgage
Interest Supplement, Family Income Supplement, Blind
Welfare Allowance, Rehabilitation
Training Allowance, rehabilitative employment (up to €120 per week), Domiciliary
Care Allowance, Mobility
Allowance and the
Student Grant Scheme is not counted.
| Couple with | Income limit |
| 1 child | €563.60 |
| 2 children | €593.40 |
| 3 children | €623.20 |
| 4 children | €653* |
*The income limit is increased by €29.80 for each additional child.
| Lone parent with | Income limit |
| 1 child | €410.10 |
| 2 children | €439.90 |
| 3 children | €469.70 |
| 4 children | €499.50* |
*The income limit is increased by €29.80 for each additional child.
If you are on a Back to Education Allowance or VTOS allowance, you can apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. You will be assessed using the standard rules and your total household income must be less than the income limits.
There are some special conditions for people who are on Back to Work Allowance, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Community Employment, Job Initiative, Revenue Job Assist, Rural Social Scheme, Tús and the Community Services Programme/Social Economy Programme.
If you were on a social welfare before going onto one of these schemes, you will first be assessed using the standard means test for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
If you fail to qualify using the standard means test, you will be re-assessed to find out if you can retain the Allowance as a secondary benefit under the different back to work schemes. In the re-assessment you can keep your entitlement to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (or apply for it if you did not have an eligible child before now), as long as your gross household income is less than €317.43.
In the re-assessment of means, the value of the Back to Work Allowance, Back to Enterprise Allowance and Family Income Supplement is not taken into account in the calculation of your gross household income.
The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 4-11 on or before 30 September 2012 is €150.
The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12-22 on or before 30 September 2012 is €250.
The scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September. Application forms will be available in all social welfare offices and online at welfare.ie.
The DSP will examine all applications received and will post updates to their website on the progress being made in processing these applications. You will get a letter informing you of the decision and, where payment has been awarded, when and where you can collect the payment.
Completed application forms together with supporting documentation should be returned to:
PO Box 131
Letterkenny
Co. Donegal
It may take a number of weeks to process your application.
If you are unhappy with the decision on your application, you should send a letter to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Review Section at the address below setting out why you are not happy with the decision and asking that the claim be reviewed.
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Review Section
PO Box 131
Letterkenny
Co. Donegal