Rules

You may qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you are:

• Getting a social welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement) or a Health Service Executive payment, or
• Taking part in an approved employment scheme, or
• Taking part in a recognised education or training course, or
• Involved in an Area Partnership Scheme, or
• 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 less than the amounts set out in the table below.

Your total household income includes your main social welfare or Health Service Executive payment, the income of any dependent children on the Youthreach Programme and any other income you may have including wages (before tax, but excluding 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:

Any income you get from Rent Supplement or Mortgage Interest Supplement, Family Income Supplement, Blind Welfare Allowance, Rehabilitation Training Allowance, rehabilitative employment (up to €120 per week), work as a home help, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Mobility Allowance and the Higher Education Grant Scheme is not counted.

Income limits for couples 2011

*The income limit is increased by €29.80 for each additional child.

Income limits for a lone parent 2011

*The income limit is increased by €29.80 for each additional child.

Back to Education Allowance or VTOS

If you are on a Back to Education Allowance or VTOS allowance, 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 less than the income limits.

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 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.

Rates

The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 2-11 on or before 30 September 2011 is €200.

The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12-22 on or before 30 September 2011 is €305.

How to apply

The scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September. If you have automatically qualified you get a letter from the Department of Social Protection telling you how and when your payment will be made. If you do not automatically qualify you must apply for the payment.

Most people who received the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in 2010 do not need to apply for the payment in 2011. These people should have received a letter from the Department telling them when their payment will be made.

Some people, mainly those getting Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Invalidity Pension and State pensions, could not qualify automatically for various reasons.

If you have not received a letter by the end of June you need to apply. To apply fill in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance form (pdf) and return to the address below before 30 September 2011.

You can also get the form from your Social Welfare Local Office, from your local health centre or by texting ‘form BTSCFA’ followed by your name and address to 51909.