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 (BSCFA) is a payment that can help with the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school.

The BSCFA is paid automatically to many families. If you are paid automatically, you don't need to apply for the BSCFA.

If you do not get an automatic payment, you can apply for the payment on MyWelfare.

Applications for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance closed on 30 September 2023. Applications for the 2024 payment will open in June 2024.

Who can get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance?

You may get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA), if you have a child that qualifies and:

  • You are getting a qualifying social welfare payment or participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme. You can find a list of qualifying payments and schemes.
  • Your household is within the BSCFA income limit. See ‘Income limits’ below.
  • You and each child you are claiming the BSCFA for is resident in Ireland.

If you are getting a social welfare payment, you must be getting an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC) with your payment. There are some exceptions to this, for example:

  • You are getting a qualifying social welfare payment, but you are not getting an increase for your child because the rules of the payment do not provide for a child payment. Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit are examples of this. You can still claim BSCFA if you meet the other BSCFA rules.
  • You are getting a qualifying social welfare payment, but you are not getting an increase for your child because your spouse or partner's income is over the specified limit for your payment. You can still claim BSCFA if your overall household income is within the BSCFA income limits. See ‘Income limits’ below.

What children qualify?

To get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, your child must be:

  • Aged between 4-17 on 30 September in the year you are applying for BSCFA
  • Aged between 18-22 and returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of the year you are applying for BSCFA

You cannot claim BSCFA for a child who is not resident in Ireland.

Foster children do not qualify for the BSCFA because the financial support foster parents get from Tusla (Foster Care Allowance) includes help with the cost of clothing and footwear for the child.

Income limits

Your total household income must be less than the amounts set out in the 'Weekly income limits' table below. All your dependent children are counted when the income limit is applied (including children who do not qualify for BSCFA because they are aged under 4).

Your total household income includes your main social welfare or Health Service Executive payment and any other income you may have. This includes wages (before tax, but it excludes 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:

How savings and investments are assessed
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 the following is not counted:

Weekly income limits for 2023
Number of children Income limit
1 child €642
2 children €692
3 children €742
4 children €792*

*The income limit is increased by €50 for each additional dependent child.

Rate of Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

In 2024, the BSCFA paid for each eligible child aged 4-11 on 30 September 2024 is €160.

In 2024, the BSCFA paid for each eligible child aged 12-22 on 30 September is €285. Children aged between 18 and 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2024.

How to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

Applications for the 2024 payment will open in June 2024.

The BSCFA is paid automatically to many families. If you are paid automatically, you don't need to apply for the BSCFA. The DSP will let you know if you are paid automatically using your MyWelfare account, or by post.

If you are not paid automatically, you can apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance online at MyWelfare.ie.

If you have applied for a social welfare payment and are waiting for a decision on your application or have appealed a decision not to award you a social welfare payment, you should apply for the BSCFA before the scheme closes. Your BSCFA will be decided when you get a decision on your application or appeal.

Appealing a Back to School Clothing and Footwear decision

You cannot appeal a decision on your BSCFA application to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

If you are unhappy with the decision on your BSCFA application, you should send a letter to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Review Section at the address below setting out the reasons why you think the decision was not correct and asking that the application be reviewed.

You should request a review within 21 days of getting your decision.

Contact the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance section

Department of Social Protection

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Review Section

Social Welfare Services
Department of Social Protection
College Road
Sligo
F91 T384

Tel: 071 919 3318 or 0818 111 113
Page edited: 7 February 2024