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Irish Daily Mirror
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Social welfare group can claim summer lump sum worth at least €160
Thousands of social welfare recipients may be in line for a welcome financial boost this summer, with a Government payout worth at least €160 available. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) is returning again this year to help cover the growing cost of uniforms and shoes ahead of the new school term. This once-yearly lump sum is designed to ease the burden on parents and guardians as they prepare their children for the classroom - but changes to how it's usually issued mean some people who previously qualified automatically may now need to apply manually. The allowance ranges from €160 to €285 per child, depending on their age, and is available to eligible families receiving social welfare payments or participating in approved employment or education schemes. With applications opening in June, it's important for parents and guardians to check their eligibility now to avoid missing out. There are two aged-based payment levels for children under the BSCFA lump sum scheme. Parents or guardians of children aged between four and 11 (as of September 30,2025) may be entitled to €160 per child. Parents or guardians of children aged between 12 and 22 (as of September 30, 2025) may receive a higher payment of €285 per child, as long as the child is returning to full-time, second-level education in the autumn. Children must be resident in Ireland, and you must also be living in the State and receiving a qualifying social welfare payment or participating in an approved training or employment scheme. Your household income must also fall within specific limits, and in most cases, you must be receiving a Child Support Payment (formerly called Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) with your primary welfare payment. In some cases, you'll be paid automatically. If the Department of Social Protection (DSP) determines you qualify based on your current circumstances, you'll receive a notification via your MyWelfare account or by post. However, not everyone will be included automatically this year, particularly parents of older children aged 18 to 22. If your child is in this age group, you may be required to provide evidence that they are returning to full-time, second-level education in a recognised school or college. If you haven't received a letter or message from the DSP by the end of June, you must apply online via MyWelfare, even if you received the payment last year. If you receive a qualifying social welfare payment but don't receive a child support payment, you may still be eligible for BSCFA if the rules of your primary payment do not include child support (eg maternity benefit or adoptive benefit), or if you're partner's income exceeds the threshold for your main payment, but your total household income is still within the BSCFA limits. Foster children do not qualify for the BSCFA. That's because foster carers receive a separate Foster Care Allowance, which already includes support for clothing and footwear expenses. Applications for the 2025 BSCFA season are expected to open in June. If you're not automatically contacted by the DSP, it's your responsibility to submit an application online. For more information and to check detailed eligibility rules, see the Citizen's Information page here or log in to your MyWelfare account.
The Irish Sun
13-05-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
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 Advertisement 1 The payment is worth either €160 or €285 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 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. Advertisement READ MORE IN MONEY 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. Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Latest 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. Major warning over emergency social welfare scam texts as thousands could be targeted 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.
Dublin Live
12-05-2025
- General
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland: Families urged to apply for lump sum cash boost next month
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Families have been told to apply for a lump sum payment scheme worth €285 if they are not informed that they are automatically eligible. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) is a payment to help families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes. Many families receive the payment automatically. The current rate of payment is €160 for children aged between four and 11, and €285 for children aged 12-22. Children aged between 18-22 must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school in the autumn of 2025 in order to qualify. If you are paid automatically, you don't need to apply for the BSCFA and you will get notified on your MyWelfare account or by post before the end of June 2025. If you are not notified by the end of June, you will need to apply for the scheme. The closing date to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30 September 2025. Here's everything you need to know about being eligible for the scheme. How do I qualify for the BSCFA? You can 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 are participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme. See a list of qualifying payments and schemes on Your household is within the BSCFA income limits (see 'Income limits' below) You and each child you claim the BSCFA for are resident in Ireland. If you are getting a social welfare payment, you must be getting a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) with your payment. There are some exceptions to this (see 'I don't get a Child Support Payment' below). If you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment but you don't get a Child Support Payment, you can still claim BSCFA if: The rules of your payment do not provide for a child payment (for example, Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit), or Your spouse or partner's income is over the specified limit for your payment, but your overall household income is within the BSCFA income limits. You must meet the other rules for getting BSCFA. To get the BSCFA, your child must be: Aged between 4-17 on 30 September in the year you apply 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 apply Your child must be resident in Ireland. How to apply for BSCFA? You don't need to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) if you get the payment automatically. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) will let you know if you are paid automatically using your MyWelfare account, or by post. If you don't hear from the DSP by the end of June, you must apply for BSCFA online, even if you got the BSCFA payment last year. You can find out more information here. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Dublin Live
11-05-2025
- General
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland payment warning as one group may not get €285 allowance
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info One group of recipients may no longer receive a popular social welfare payment as they are being urged to reapply. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance applications open in the coming weeks - however, some parents that previously automatically qualified may not this year. 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 - this is one of the criteria for this age group. You will know if this is the case, as the Department of Social Protection (DSP) will let you know if you will be paid automatically using your MyWelfare account, or by post. If you don't hear from the DSP by the end of June, you must apply for BSCFA online, even if you got the BSCFA payment last year. If your child is aged between four and 11 on 30 September, you could qualify for a cash boost of €160, whereas, if your child is aged between 12 and 22, you may receive €285. Applications for the 2025 BSCFA season will open in June. You can 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 are participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme. See a list of qualifying payments and schemes on Your household is within the BSCFA income limits You and each child you claim the BSCFA for are resident in Ireland. If you are getting a social welfare payment, you must be getting a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) with your payment. There are some exceptions to this. If you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment but you don't get a Child Support Payment, you can still claim BSCFA if: The rules of your payment do not provide for a child payment (for example, Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit), or Your spouse or partner's income is over the specified limit for your payment, but your overall household income is within the BSCFA income limits. You must meet the other rules for getting BSCFA. To get the BSCFA, your child must be: Aged between 4-17 on 30 September in the year you apply 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 apply Your child must be resident in Ireland. Foster children do not qualify for the BSCFA. This is because foster parents get a Foster Care Allowance, which includes help with the cost of clothing and footwear for the child. You can find out more about the payment here. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Dublin Live
09-05-2025
- General
- Dublin Live
Social welfare Ireland: Closing date confirmed to apply for €285 lump sum payment
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The closing date for applications for a lump sum payment of €285 has been confirmed. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) is a payment to help families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes. Many families get the BSCFA automatically. If you are paid automatically, you don't need to apply for the BSCFA and you will get notified on your MyWelfare account or by post before the end of June 2025. If you are not notified by the end of June, you will need to apply for the scheme. The closing date to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30 September 2025. The current rate of payment is €160 for children aged between four and 11, and €285 for children aged 12-22. Children aged between 18-22 must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school in the autumn of 2025 in order to qualify. Here's everything you need to know about being eligible for the scheme. How do I qualify for the BSCFA? You can 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 are participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme. See a list of qualifying payments and schemes on Your household is within the BSCFA income limits (see 'Income limits' below) You and each child you claim the BSCFA for are resident in Ireland. If you are getting a social welfare payment, you must be getting a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) with your payment. There are some exceptions to this (see 'I don't get a Child Support Payment' below). If you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment but you don't get a Child Support Payment, you can still claim BSCFA if: The rules of your payment do not provide for a child payment (for example, Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit), or Your spouse or partner's income is over the specified limit for your payment, but your overall household income is within the BSCFA income limits. You must meet the other rules for getting BSCFA. To get the BSCFA, your child must be: Aged between 4-17 on 30 September in the year you apply 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 apply Your child must be resident in Ireland. How to apply for BSCFA? You don't need to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) if you get the payment automatically. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) will let you know if you are paid automatically using your MyWelfare account, or by post. If you don't hear from the DSP by the end of June, you must apply for BSCFA online, even if you got the BSCFA payment last year. You can find out more information here. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
