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Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
From Department of Social Protection
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Important Note
If you qualify for the 2022 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment you will automatically receive a confirmation letter before 20 June.
If you have not received an award letter by the end of June, you will need to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance online at www.MyWelfare.ie,
The online application will be open from 20 June.
The closing date to apply for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30 September.
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 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is being increased by €100 for each eligible child under the scheme. The amount being paid for each eligible child aged 4–11 years will be €260 and the rate payable for each eligible child aged 12 and over will be €385.
This a temporary measure for the current school year only.
Through a matching process in the department, many customers will receive the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment automatically. Award letters issue to these customers in June.
If you have not received an award letter for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance by the end of June, and you satisfy the qualifying conditions, you will need to make an application online at www.MyWelfare.ie, even if you automatically received the payment last year.
To apply online you must have a verified MyGovID account. Details can be found here on how to verify your MyGovID account.
The closing date to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for 2022 is 30 September 2022.
Operational guidelines describe the processes and procedures that staff in the department follow when carrying out their work.