Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will review the qualifying criteria for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in order that low income families who derive earnings from self-employment may qualify. [18600/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but only to provide assistance towards these costs.

A person may qualify for payment of an allowance if they are in receipt of a social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payment, are participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education or training course and have household income below standard levels.

Self-employed people may receive back to school clothing and footwear allowance provided they are receiving a qualifying payment, such as Family Income Supplement or Jobseekers Allowance. If a person is self-employed, they or their spouse may qualify in certain circumstances for jobseeker's allowance or family income supplement subject to meeting the other qualifying criteria of these schemes. If a self-employed person is not in receipt of a qualifying payment such as jobseeker's allowance, then they will not qualify for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance.

I consider the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme to be an important support for parents at a time of particular financial strain. The improvements to the scheme in recent years have provided a major boost to meeting the financial costs associated with return to school for those who most need assistance. Any changes to the structure of the scheme, rates of payment, income limits or amendments to the qualifying criteria would have cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of resources available to me for improvements in social welfare payments generally.