Service
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Important note
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for 2023 is closed.
No further applications are being accepted.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for 2024 will open in June 2024.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is a means-tested once-off payment aimed at helping families with the extra costs of clothing and footwear when children start school each autumn. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September each year.
To qualify for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, you must meet the following conditions:
aged between 4 and 17 or
aged between 18 and 22, and returning to second-level education in the autumn
| Child’s age | Rate |
| 4 – 11 | €160 |
| 12 – 22 | €285 |
Remember, children between 18 and 22 years old must be in second-level education to qualify.
The 2024 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme will open in June 2024. Through a matching process in the department, many people will receive the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment automatically. Notifications will issue to your MyWelfare accounts or by post in June.
If you have not received an award notification for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, and you satisfy the qualifying conditions, you will need to make an application even if you have automatically received the payment in previous years.
The quickest and easiest way is to apply online at MyWelfare.ie . The online application will be open in June 2024.
From June 2024, if you are experiencing difficulties applying online, please contact the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance team on 0818 11 11 13 or 071 91 93318 or email the team at bscfa@welfare.ie and an officer will be able to assist you to apply online or will issue an application form to you in the post.
From June 2024, a PDF version of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance application form will be available below to print and send to the address on the form.
The closing date to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30 September of the scheme year.
Operational guidelines describe the processes and procedures that staff in the department follow when carrying out their work.