Minister Calleary announces extension of the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to include children aged 2 and 3

Minister Calleary announces extension of the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to include children aged 2 and 3

• 2026 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance now open for applications
• More than 109,000 families will automatically receive the allowance in July
• Extension of the scheme in 2026 to include 2 and 3-year-olds for the first time
• Government is providing €60.4 million for the scheme this year

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has today opened applications for the 2026 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, which last year supported over 144,000 families with back-to-school costs.

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.

The scheme has been extended this year to include children aged 2 and 3 for the first time. As a result of this extension, it is estimated that approximately 37,000 additional children will qualify for the allowance this year.

The rate of payment for 2026 is €160 for children aged 2 - 11 and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Commenting on the scheme, Minister Calleary said:

“I know that the costs for going back to school or preschool can place real pressure on families. That is why I am particularly pleased that, with the support of my colleague Minister Norma Foley, we are extending the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to include 2 and 3-year-olds for the first time. This means thousands more families across the country will receive practical support at a time when it matters most”.

“Applications for 2026 are now open. Last year, 144,000 families in respect of 256,000 children benefitted from the scheme. The extra investment this year will help even more parents and guardians with the cost of clothing and footwear, while giving children the best possible start as they prepare for the year ahead”.

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley commented:

“"Education begins at the earliest point of a child's life, so early years education is vitally important. I welcome the extension of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance by Minister Calleary. It will truly support parents of young children as they begin their journey in education”

The majority of payments will be paid automatically with no application form required. Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be paid automatically to more than 109,000 families in respect of almost 202,000 children during the week beginning 13th July.

The Department of Social Protection is currently processing these payments and customers will receive confirmation informing them of their automatic entitlement, on their MyWelfare account or by post. This will result in over €42 million paid to these families during the week beginning 13th July.

Families who do not receive notification from the Department of an automated payment should make an application online on www.MyWelfare.ie, even if they received a payment last year. Online applications can be made from today, Wednesday, 3rd June.

Minister Calleary added:

“More than 75% of payments under this scheme will be paid without the need to make an application. My Department will issue automatic payments to more than 109,000 families in July and I would urge all families to check their eligibility for this important scheme.”

Notes:

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.

In 2025, over 144,000 families benefitted from the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme in respect of over 256,000 children at a cost of €55.4m.

The rates of payment for the 2026 BSCFA scheme are €160 for children aged 2-11 years on or before 30th September 2026 and €285 for children aged 12-22 years on or before 30th September 2026. Students aged between 18 - 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2026 to retain an entitlement to payment.

The Department is providing dedicated phone lines 071-9193318 and 0818-11-11-13 to answer enquiries relating to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance during usual business hours Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm. People also have the choice of emailing the Department at bscfa@welfare.ie if they have an enquiry regarding their application or entitlement.

The closing date to apply for this year’s Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30th September 2026.

Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available at www.gov.ie/bscfa.