Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

511. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has plans to extend eligibility for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance considering the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34628/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance 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 September.   

The allowance is payable for eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child increase is being paid.  It is also payable to those 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.

To qualify for the allowance a person must meet a number of conditions, including an income limit test.

The income limits for one parent families were increased this year to bring them in line with the income limits for two parent families, widening the eligibility for that group of customers.  The income limits were also increased to ensure that the increases in weekly social protection payments rates introduced in Budget 2022 would not negatively impact on entitlement to the allowance.

The rates of payment were increased this year by €100 per eligible child on top of  budgetary increases of €10 to €260 for children aged 4 to 11 and to €385 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for additional needs payments under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme by the officers administering this scheme in the normal way. 

The Government is acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on households who are dependent on social welfare.  For this reason, this Government did not await a further budget cycle to address these challenges but acted early.  Overall, the tax and spending measures we have introduced to ease the burden and provide support to those most in need have amounted to €2.4 billion.  

The Government continues to monitor the situation carefully in preparation for the Budget later this year.  I will be meeting a range of NGOs at the Department's pre-budget forum later this month and will listen carefully to the views expressed. 

This Government has provided timely, targeted support and I will continue to prioritise evidence-based measures aimed at supporting the most vulnerable in our society.