Press release
Varadkar urges eligible parents to apply for Back to School 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 Leo Varadkar has reminded families that the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be made available again this year, and urged families who are not automatically entitled to make an application before the August deadline.
Minister Varadkar said:
"The support provided through the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance helps parents with the cost of the new school year. The Department of Social Protection has allocated €38.8 million for the payments this year. I want to remind families who do not automatically receive the allowance that they can still make an application before the August deadline."
In 2015 over 153,000 families with 281,000 children benefitted from the payments. The payment rate is €100 for each child aged 4 to 11 and €200 for children aged 12 to 22.
As in previous years, a large proportion of Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments will be fully automated and no application form will be required. Letters will issue in the week ending 10th June informing families of their entitlement and notifying them of the expected payment which will be made during the week ending 15th July.
Further payments will be made for applications submitted to the Department of Social Protection. Application forms will be available in Department of Social Protection offices, via the department’s SMS form request service and by download from www.welfare.ie from 10th June 2016. Further details of the application process for the 2016 payments will be made available at a later date.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment assists eligible categories of people to meet the cost of school clothing and footwear. The Allowance is paid to eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 on or before 30th September 2016 and between the ages of 18 and 22 on or before 30th September 2016 who are in full-time second level education.
ENDS
Income Limits for 2016 are:
| Couple with: | Income Limit | Lone Parent with: | Income Limit |
| 1 child | €563.60 | 1 child | €410.10 |
| 2 children | €593.40 | 2 children | €439.90 |
| 3 children | €623.20 | 3 children | €469.70 |
| 4 children | €653.00* | 4 children | €499.50* |
*Limit is increased by €29.80 for each additional child.
The rates of payment are: