13-05-2025
Exact date Irish parents must apply for €160 or €285 lump sum boost as warning issued over key group that could miss out
A NUMBER of Irish parents will be able to apply for a lump social welfare sum, worth either €160 or €285, from next month.
The majority of eligible families
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The payment is worth either €160 or €285
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is expected to be paid out by the Department of Social Protection in July.
And applications for the boost are set to open around June 12.
The cash, designed to help families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes, is received automatically by many families.
Those who are paid automatically don't need to apply for the BSCFA and will be notified on their MyWelfare account or by post before the end of June 2025.
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However, some parents that previously
Those who do not get a notice about the payment from the Department of Social Protection by the end of next month should apply before
In general, if your child is aged between 18-22, you could be asked to provide evidence that they are returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school in the autumn of 2025.
The BSCFA is €160 for children aged between four and 11 years old, increasing to €285 for children aged between 12 and 22.
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A child must be aged between four-17 on 30 September in the year a parent or guardian applies or aged between 18-22 and returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of the year of the application to qualify.
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The child must also be resident in Ireland.
You can get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you have a child that qualifies and you meet the criteria:
You are getting a qualifying social welfare payment, or are participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme
Your household is within the BSCFA income limits
You and each child claiming the BSCFA are resident in Ireland
Those who are getting a social welfare payment must be getting a Child Support Payment, previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child, with your payment - but there are exceptions to this rule.
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The BSCFA is a means-tested payment, meaning a households total income must be less than the amounts set out by the Department.
SHOULD I APPLY FOR BSCFA?
IF you think you are eligible for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear payment you can apply in June when the scheme opens.
You should apply for the BSCFA before the closing date if you have applied for a social welfare payment and are waiting for a decision on your application.
Or if you have appealed a decision not to award you a social welfare payment.
Your BSCFA application will be decided when you get a decision on your social welfare payment application, or on your appeal.
If you don't get the payment automatically, you can apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance online at using a verified MyGovID account.
Those who don't have a verified MyGovID account can call the BSCFA contact centre on (071) 919 3318 or 0818 11 11 13, and they will help to set one up. They can also post a paper copy of the application form.
All dependent children, including those over 18 in third level education, will be counted when applying the income limit.
When assessing income from wages, the DSP looks at income before tax - but PRSI and a standard travel allowance of up to €20 each week is not included.
Savings, investments, shares and property - but not your own home - are also assessed as part of the means test.
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The weekly income limit for BSCFA is €694 for a family with one child, but this amount increases by €62 for each additional dependent child.
This means a family with four children can earn a maximum of €880 each week in order to qualify for the payment.
