Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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592. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if hard copy application forms for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme are available in local Intreo offices to enable those that do not have online access to apply for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18306/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn.  The scheme operates from June to the end of September each year.

The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid. 

Similar to previous years, the majority of customers are awarded BSCFA automatically and notification of these awards have issued to these customers.

From 6 July, if a customer has not received an award letter from BSCFA, that customer will need to apply for the allowance online on www.mywelfare.ie.  While BSCFA application forms are not available in Intreo offices, customers who not in a position to apply online or who are experiencing difficulties in applying online can contact the BSCFA section on 071 9193318 or 0818 11 11 13, where an officer will assist the customer to apply online or, where necessary, will issue an application form for the customer to complete.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.