Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including the universal social charge as an exclusion from income similar to the exclusion of PRSI and travelling expenses of €20 per week when considering applications for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37736/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 Government has provided €63.7 million for the scheme for 2012 and has assisted some 161,500 families to date.

A person may qualify for payment of BSCFA in respect of a qualified child or children if they are in receipt of a social welfare payment or Health Service Executive payment, or participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain set levels.

Under the conditions of the BSCFA scheme, income assessed from employment includes earnings before tax, excluding PRSI and travelling expenses of up to €20 a week.

I have no plans to revise the income assessment for the BSCFA scheme at this time.