Information
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) is to help you meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for children attending school. The scheme operates from 1 June to 30 September each year.
The Allowance is provided by the Health Service Executive as part of the Supplementary Welfare Scheme.
To get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, you (the parent or guardian) must meet a number of conditions:
- You must be getting certain social welfare payments or payments for training, employment schemes or adult education
- Your total household income must be below a certain amount
- The child/student must be between 2 and 22 years before 1 October of the year you apply and must be in full-time education at a recognised school or college
Rules
You may qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you are in one of these groups:
- You are getting a social welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement) or a Health Service Executive payment, or
- You are taking part in an approved employment scheme, or
- You are taking part in a recognised education or training course
- You are involved in an Area Partnership Scheme, or
- You are attending a FÁS, Fáilte Ireland or LES training scheme
Income limits
To qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, your total household income must be below the amounts set out in the table below.
Your total household income is your main social welfare or Health Service Executive payment, the income of any dependent children on Youthreach and any other income you may have including wages (before tax, but excluding PRSI and reasonable travelling expenses) and maintenance. 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, Rehabilitative Training Allowance, rehabilitative employment (up to €120 per week), Home Help, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Mobility Allowance and Higher Education Grants Scheme is not counted.
Couples 2010
Income limits for a couple
| Couple with |
Income limit in 2010 |
| 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 2010
Income limit for a lone parent
| Lone parent with |
Income limit in 2010 |
| 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.
People on Back to Education Allowance or VTOS
If you are on a Back to Education Allowance or VTOS, 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 below the income shown above.
People on certain back to work schemes
There are some special conditions for people who are on Back to Work Allowance (Employees), Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, Community Employment, Job Initiative, Revenue Job Assist, Rural Social Scheme and the Community Services Programme/Social Economy Programme (Grant Aided Employees).
If you were on a social welfare or Health Service Executive payment 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 people most likely to qualify using the secondary benefit (€317.43) assessment are people getting Back to Work Allowance or Back to Work Enterprise Allowance.
Rates
The rate of the allowance paid for each eligible child aged 2-11 before 1st October 2010 is €200.
The rate of the allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12-17 before 1st October 2010 is €305.
The allowance is also paid, at the higher rate, for each child aged 18-22, if you are getting an increase your social welfare payment for that child and he/she is in full-time education.
An additional €215 is paid for children aged 18, if you are getting at least one of the following:
- An increase in your social welfare payment for that child
- A Family Income Supplement payment which includes that child
This means, a child aged 18 will get a Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance of €520.