Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cut-off point for persons who are in receipt of back to work allowance to receive the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; the length of time this limit has been in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24513/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A person may qualify for payment of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a qualifying social welfare or health board payment; is participating in an approved employment scheme, such as the back to work scheme, or a recognised education or training course and has household income at or below certain prescribed levels. The income limits, which are shown in the following tabular statement, vary depending on household composition.

Where the prescribed income limits are exceeded in the case of persons participating in approved employment schemes, including the back to work scheme, special arrangements are in place which allow such people to retain entitlement to back to school clothing and footwear allowance subject to a separate income limit of €317.43 per week. While the €317.43 income limit has not changed since the introduction of the back to work scheme in 1993, significant changes have been made to the means test. Back to work allowance and family income supplement, in cases where one or both of these are in payment, are now disregarded in the assessment of the €317.43 weekly income limit.

In effect this means that people who had been unemployed and commenced employment through the back to work scheme can have a weekly household income significantly in excess of €317.43 and still qualify for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. In the first year of their participation in the back to work scheme, a single person can have combined income from the back to work allowance and wages of €418.50, while a couple with two children can have an income of €510.75.

A participant on a back to work scheme may be assessed under either the retention rules applicable to employment scheme participants or the income limits of the back to school clothing and footwear scheme itself whichever is more beneficial.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme standard income limits for 2004 are as follows: