Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance 2022 (BTSCFA)

What is the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

According to the ILCU annual survey findings, 66% of Irish parents say back to school costs are a financial burden. 29% of parents are in debt over the back to school costs, and the average debt is €339. If you have more than one child, these costs can balloon quickly.

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme can help parents meet the costs of school clothing and footwear for their children and reduce financial stress. 

The scheme operates from June to September and provides eligible families with a one-off payment to help toward the cost of uniforms and footwear for students in school. It’s automatically paid to many families from the second week of July. If you haven’t received any letter letting you know you’ll be paid, you can check your eligibility and apply for the scheme online by 30 September 2022.

Who is eligible for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

You and your family can qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you are the recipient of any of these schemes:

• Social welfare payments such as the Working Family Payment and Back to Work Family Dividend or a Health Service Executive
• An approved employment scheme such as the Back to Work scheme
• A recognized education or training course
• Daily Expenses Allowance for a child in education 
• An Area Partnership Scheme
• Part of the Fáilte Ireland training course

Other conditions that you have to meet to qualify for the allowance are:

• You are receiving an increase for a qualified child (IQC) 
• The child the allowance is being claimed for is between 4 and 17 or between 18 and 22 in secondary education
• You and the child for whom the allowance is being claimed are residents of the State
• The income for your household is within the defined income brackets

What should your total household income be to qualify for the allowance in 2022?

You will qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 2022 if your total income is less than the amount mentioned in the table:

(After the income limit for four children, the limit raised by €48 for every dependent child.) 

What is included in your total household income?

Your household income includes your main social welfare or Health Service Executive payment and your other income sources. Other income sources include wages, maintenance, savings, and investments.

Incomes you get from Child Benefit, supplements including Rent Supplement, social welfare payments like Working Family Payment, allowance for Blind Welfare, allowance for Rehabilitation Training, rehabilitative employment, allowance for Domiciliary Care, allowance for mobility, and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) are not counted in the total household income.

How much is the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 2022?

The government announced a €67 million package for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. Citing the cost-of-living crisis, the allowance is set to increase by €100. Additionally, school transport fees are also going to be waived.

In 2022, the allowance paid for each child between 4 and 11 years will be €160. For each child between 12 and 22 years, the allowance will be €285. Those between 18 and 22 are eligible only if they return to full-time school for second-level education in a recognized school or college.

What are the increased payments for 2022 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

Including €67 million for the allowance package, a total of €84 million has been obtained for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme this year.

In July 2022, it was announced that some 124,000 families (for 220,000 children) would be paid during the second week of the month. This year, a number of new measures are being introduced to ensure that the scheme benefits even more children. Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 2022 will see:

• an increase to income limits to help single parents
• an extra €100 payment for each eligible child, starting from 18 July
• benefits to Ukrainian families who have moved to Ireland because of the war 

By the close of the scheme in September, close to 151,000 families and 262,000 children will reap its benefits.

How do I apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

Many parents (like you!) received their Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment automatically in the second week of July. These residents received their award letters in June. 

If you did not receive an award letter in June 2022 and you meet the eligibility criteria for the allowance, you will have to make an application online, regardless of whether you received allowance payment in 2021.

You can make an application through the MyWelfare website by clicking on the Apply Now button.

You’ll need a verified MyGovID account to apply for the scheme. If you don’t have one, you can visit the MyGovID website and create an account.

Remember that the last date to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for this year is 30 September 2022.

What will you be asked about?

When you apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, you’ll be asked for:

• Your payment and claim details: This includes all the information on the payments you and your family currently receive.
• Your children’s details: This includes their names and PPS numbers.
• Your financial situation: You’ll be asked questions about your income, savings, and investments you or your partner currently have.

What is the waiting period for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme for 2022 is open from 20 June till 30 September. The automatic payments for the allowance are being paid to families from 11 July. Those families not on the list of automatic payments have to make an application by 30 September to receive an allowance for their children for this school year.

How can you contact the department?

The Department of Social Protection will have phone lines (071 919 3318 and 0818 11 11 13) to respond to any questions relating to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance that you as parents might have. These phone lines will be operating from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm. Alternatively, you can also mail the department at bscfa@welfare.ie if you have an inquiry about your application.

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