Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

SW 75
An Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí
Department of Social Protection
www.welfare.ie
Back to School Clothing
and Footwear Allowance
What is the Back to School
Clothing and Footwear Allowance?
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
helps towards the cost of uniforms and footwear for
school children. The scheme operates from June to
September each year.
The scheme offers help to school-going children for
whom a Qualified Child Increase is payable and is
paid as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance
(SWA) scheme.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible
children between the ages of 4 and 17 on or before
30th September 2014 and eligible children aged 18
and 22 on or before 30th September 2014 in full-time
second level education.
The Allowance is not paid for foster children.
The Department of Social Protection will decide if you
qualify for the scheme.
You may qualify if you (and the qualifying child(ren))
are living in the State and:
• taking part in one of the following approved
employment schemes or training courses and
satisfy the other conditions,
— Back to Work Allowance (Employees) (BTWEA),
— Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA),
— Short-term Enterprise Allowance,
— Community Employment,
— Revenue Job Assist,
— Community Services Programme
(Grant Aided Employees),
— Job Initiative,
— Workplace,
— Youthreach,
— Back to Education Allowance,
— Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS),
— Area Partnership Scheme,
— Gateway,
How can I qualify?
The administrative arrangements for the 2014 scheme
are similar to the arrangements that applied in 2013.
For the 2014 scheme most payments will issue
automatically to customers with no need to complete
an application form.
These customers will receive a letter from the
Department in early June telling them when and how
their payment will be made.
It is expected that over 65% of customers entitled to
the allowance in 2013 will automatically receive the
allowance in 2014.
Payments to these customers will issue from the week
ending 18th July 2014.
All other customers will have to apply for the
payment and the following rules and qualifying
conditions will apply.
— SOLAS/FÁS, Fáilte Ireland or LES training Scheme,
— Rural Social Scheme, or
— Tús,
and
• getting a Qualified Child Increase with your social
welfare payment. Any child whom this allowance
is claimed must be resident in the state,
and
• your household income is within the limits shown
in either of the tables below. Household income
includes:
— your main social welfare or HSE payment,
— income of any qualified children on
Youthreach, and
—
other income including earnings before tax,
but excluding PRSI and travelling expenses of
€20.00 a week.
For more information:
• Log on to www.welfare.ie.
Issued by:
Information Services
Social Welfare Services
College Road
Sligo
• LoCall Information Line 1890 66 22 44 (from the
Republic of Ireland only) or +353 71 919 3313
(from Northern Ireland or overseas).
• Drop in to your local Citizens Information Centre,
your local Intreo Centre or your local Social
Welfare Office
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
is paid to parents whose weekly income is at or below
the following amount:
Couple with:
1 child
2 children
3 children
4 children
Income limit
€563.60
€593.40
€623.20
€653.00*
How much is the allowance?
The allowance is:
— €100 in respect of eligible children aged 4-11
on or before 30 September 2014.
— €200 in respect of eligible children aged 12-22
on or before 30 September 2014. Children
aged between 18 and 22 years must be in full
time Second Level education in a recognised
school or college.
*Limit is increased by €29.80 for each
additional child.
Lone parent with:
1 child
2 children
3 children
4 children
Income limit
€410.10
€439.90
€469.70
€499.50**
**Limit is increased by €29.80 for each
additional child.
For the purpose of this scheme, we ignore income
from Rent or Mortgage Interest Supplement, Family
Income Supplement, Blind Welfare Allowance,
Domiciliary Care Allowance and Mobility Allowance.
We also ignore any income from rehabilitative
employment or training - up to €120 per week.
Special conditions
If you were entitled to the Back to School Clothing
and Footwear Allowance while getting a social welfare
or HSE payment before starting one of the
employment schemes listed above, you may still be
able to get the allowance as long as your gross
household income is €317.43 a week or less and
you continue to satisfy the conditions of the scheme.
We do not take into account income from Back to
Work (Employees) Allowance or Back to Work
Enterprise Allowance for the purpose of the €317.43
weekly income limit.
If you do not qualify for the allowance under these
‘special conditions’, you can apply for it in the usual
way and will be subject to the income limits above.
How do I get my payment?
Customers entitled to the automatic payment will be
advised in writing in early June as to how and when
the payment is to be made.
Those applying to the Department for the payment
will have the option of being paid at a Post Office or
directly to a bank account.
When and how do I apply?
Customers who do not receive an automatic payment
will have to complete an application form which will
be made available in June.
To get an application form:
• Log on to www.welfare.ie.
• Text “FORM BTSCFA” followed by your name and
address to 51909 (from the Republic of Ireland
only). Standard text rates apply.
• Drop in to your local Citizens Information Centre,
your local Intreo Centre or your local Social
Welfare Office.
• email the Department at BSCFA@welfare.ie.
Note
The rates charged for using 1890 (LoCall)
numbers may vary among different service
providers.
This leaflet is intended as a guide only and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.
0k 06-14
Edition: June 2014