From:Department of Social Protection

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has announced that over126,000 familieswill receive the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance from today.

The payment from the Department of Social Protection is designed to support eligible families with the cost of school uniforms and footwear ahead of the upcoming school term.

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 rates of payment for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance are €160 for children aged 2 to 11, and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Overall, payments totalling more than €48.8 million will be made this week to over 126,000 families, in respect of over 233,000 children. A notification of the automated payment is sent to families by post or through their MyWelfare account.

Commenting on the payments, Minister Calleary said:

“This week, over 126,000 families across the country will receive the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. This payment, which benefits over 233,000 children, is a vital support for parents in meeting their back-to-school costs over the coming weeks.

I am particularly pleased that from this year, the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance has been extended to include children aged 2 and 3 for the first time. This means that up to 37,000 additional children will be eligible to receive this important payment.

If you think you may be eligible and have not yet applied, I would encourage you to check your entitlement. The scheme remains open until 30 September, and we want to ensure every family receives the support they are entitled to.”

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance remains open for applications untilSeptember 30thand eligible families are encouraged to apply. Decisions on these cases will be processed manually and, if entitled, payment will issue once they are processed.

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 allowance paid for each eligible child aged 2 - 11 years on or before 30th September 2026 is €160, while an allowance of €285 is paid for each eligible child aged 12 - 22 years on or before 30th September 2025. 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 can also email the Department [email protected] 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.

126,000 payments are being paid this week to eligible families who are in receipt of certain qualifying payments.

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

County Breakdown of Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear payments issuing this week: