Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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346. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she would consider increasing the income limit for the back-to-school allowance, as the €60 increase to the working family payment may result in an unintended consequence of many households’ income going up and, as a result, not qualifying for the back-to-school allowance, given the importance of back-to-school costs support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40331/24]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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345. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is aware that the €60 increase to the working family payment may put thousands of households above the income limit to receive back-to-school allowance, which many did not qualify for last year as they were just slightly over the income limit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40330/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 345 together.

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 each year.

In order to qualify for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, an applicant must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions, one of which requires the applicant’s household income to be within the relevant income limits.

The Weekly Household Income Limits for 2024 are:

*Limit is increased by €54 for each additional child

The household income includes weekly social protection payments, gross income from employment, minus employees PRSI and a €20 travel allowance and any other income the household may have.

Any income from Working Family Payment, Child Benefit, Rent Supplement, Back to Work Family Dividend, Guardian’s Payments, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Blind Welfare Allowance, Foster Care Allowance, Higher Level Education grants, or rehabilitative employment (up to €165 per week) is not assessable.

Increasing the Working Family Payment income limits from January will provide additional financial support for low income families. The measure builds on increases applied in recent budgets: as a result, income thresholds for all family sizes will have increased by €164 per week since 2022.

The weekly household income limits for the 2025 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme will be increased to ensure the increases in weekly social protection payments rates introduced in Budget 2025 will not negatively impact on an individual’s entitlement to the allowance.

Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an Additional Needs Payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.