# Back to School Clothing and Footware Allowance



## Ttree

Does anyone know how long it takes for the back to school allowance to come through, it is my first time to apply for it - I applied in the first week of June but have not heard back yet.


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## gipimann

It can take up to 6 weeks to process applications for the scheme.


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## Ttree

thanks ill just have to sit thight and hope


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## cleverclogs7

last august i sent the form in and got the payment a few days later.i usually wait till the last minute and then get the school clothes and shoes and bites n pieces.


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## Ttree

i thought id get in early with form.. as im a lone parent i dont want to spend summer wondering how i will get thats needed !! thanks for reply Ttree


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## gipimann

Given the expected increase in applications this year, applications made later in the summer may take some time.  Might be better to apply in June/July rather than leave it to August to be certain of having the money in plenty of time!


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## cleverclogs7

yup i read that this morning on the social web site so i printed off the form and will send in the morning.phew


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## suemoo1

hi all, hope ye can help, my husband is on 3 day week now and gets 130e for the balance of his days so his total per wk is now 329e, i work part time and next income per month 1161e (which i use to pay mortgage) would we qualify for the back to school allowance, looked throught the forms etc but not sure really if we would it, do they take into the caluculations your child benefit? many thanks


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## gipimann

Child benefit is not counted as income when assessing for the Back to School C & F scheme.

Your total income will be assessed (your wages, your husband's wages and his Jobseeker's payment) when deciding whether you're eligible or not.


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## suemoo1

many thanks gipimann, may as as well apply as we really could do with any extra help.


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## samanthajane

How many children do you have? 

The limits for couples are:

1 child €560, 2 children €586, 3 children €612, 4 children €638,

You also need to be claiming or taking part in one of these:


You are getting a social welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement) or a Health Service Executive payment, or
You are taking part in an approved employment scheme, or
You are taking part in a recognised education or training course
You are involved in an Area Partnership Scheme, or
You are attending a FÁS, Fáilte Ireland or LES training scheme.


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## suemoo1

hi samanthajane,
we have 2 girls and he is claiming his dole so should fulfil the criteria i think, thanks


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## samanthajane

Yeah you should get it then. 

I would apply now, there seems to be taking a lot longer this year because so many extra people are applying for it. Even though they haven't yet finished school you dont want to be left in the middle of august still waiting on it.


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## suemoo1

thanks again, im going to do it today as just printed the form off.


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## suemoo1

i was trying to work it out if they calculate my wages down to weekly and some weeks we would be over by 10e but other weeks well under so dont know now if we will get it.??


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## samanthajane

You need to average it out. This is how i think they calculated it. 

So times your monthly wage by 12 and then divide by 52 that will give you your weekly average. 

Does that put you under now? I'd still fill in the form and send it off, you have nothing to lose.


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## cleverclogs7

just called the hse info line.was told Back to schhol allowance forms now have to be post to po.box 116132 Dublin 7 as hse no longer deal with it. theres a query line open from july 1800201968


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## gipimann

The HSE East Central Back to School Unit deals with applications from persons living in Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare only.   The PO Box and freephone number are not for other areas of the country.

Check the Community Welfare Service Website for information on how to apply - see [broken link removed]


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## suemoo1

tks samantajane, under some weeks and over other wks by about 10e but i sent the form off yesterday no harm in trying and really could do with the help this year. Thanks


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## samanthajane

You can but wait and see. 

Is there a club where you get your childrens school books or uniform from. 

You still pay the same but i find throwing a few quid towards it each week, even just a fiver help take the sting out of the final bill. 

Do you know anyone that might be a year or 2 ahead of your children. Most years i would pass on jumpers/cardigans that were still in good condition. They just dont seem to stop growing. And always have growth spurts just after you buy them things.

I'm so thankful that tomorrow is the last day of school my son has been walking around with ankle bashers the last few weeks lol but i just couldn't justify buying a new pair 2 weks before schhol has finished, they were only new at the beginning of easter, and they dont even look worn. There going to a friend of mine, along with my daughters dress which is nearly a belt at this stage that was also only new in april!


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## suemoo1

one daugher in secondary, 170e for her uniform next week which my mam buying for her, where do they get the prices from, thank god doing transition year so not too many books for her but other daughter in primary, these are allnd new editions etcetc and work books so all have to be bought new.. the schools are so underfunded they are not getting any extras for the free english readers, bail out banks and kids cant even get readers!!!!!!!!


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## zooned

gipimann said:


> Check the Community Welfare Service Website for information on how to apply - see [broken link removed]



Looking at the website I see they state:
For Limerick, Clare and Tipperary North, more information on where to return the forms will be available shortly, and will be published in the local press and on local radio.

On the one hand we have Hanafin telling us to apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Scheme ASAP yet when you look for information on where to send it this is what you get.
I sent off the form to the Community Welfare Officer before I noticed this on the website and got it returned back with a note that they haven't decided yet where they should be sent. Good to see they are on top of things!.


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## gipimann

The problem is that the CWOs are so busy dealing with the enormous increase in other claims that they simply can't manage the Back to School scheme as well.

Extra staff have been promised to help to process the scheme, but there have been delays in recruitment which is why the scheme isn't up and running all over the country as yet.


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## zooned

I agree totally that the CWO are overworked and more staff are needed.
The problem is you have Hanafin issuing press releases urging people to apply straight away when as you say the scheme isn't up and running yet.
She just does it to make herself look good and cover up the fact that she is a total waste of space.


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## Ttree

i phoned the CWO in my area today, and she said they have not started to prosses forms yet..it will be end july before they start, did anyone else here that Ttree


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## tootsie

A girl who works with me handed hers into the CWO yesterday. Said she would have it in a couple of weeks. I'm sending mine in tomorrow. Mayo area


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## Dream250

samanthajane said:


> How many children do you have?
> 
> The limits for couples are:
> 
> 1 child €560, 2 children €586, 3 children €612, 4 children €638,



I think you have a mistake as regards the amount, when I filled the application with the application form there were the amounts and they are as follows...
Child born on or between         Payment amount

01/10/1997 and 30/09/2007*    €200.00
01/10/1986 and 30/09/1997**  €305.00


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## gipimann

Just to clarify -

The limits that samanthajane referred to are the income limits - a person's total income must be under those limits in order to qualify (the figures quoted are the limits for 2-parent family, the limits for a 1-parent family are lower).

The amounts that Dream 250 quoted are the actual amounts paid out.


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## maz69

hi, wht do u need to submit with the application form. Do they require payslips etc. Ours are currently with the FIS people........and are likely to be d=so until after the deadline.....how ill this work forus?

thnaks


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## gipimann

If you are working, then you must attach a recent payslip to the Back to School Application form, otherwise the form will most likely be returned to you and won't be processed.   Apply as soon as you get your next payslip.


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## Ttree

hi just to say my BTSCFA came through this week. it took about six weeks .Ttree


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## cleverclogs7

still waiting here  5 weeks 3 days.


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## gipimann

Applications for Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare area are taking at least 6 weeks to process as they're all being dealt with by a central unit.


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## cleverclogs7

yup.had to send mine to a po.box. lucky i joined the book club and have most books and uniform ready just in case.


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## menna

hi there i was just wanting to no has any one got the back to school money yet   and i just moved address so i wanted to no does any one no the tel num for them i looking for the waterford num thanks for ure help


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## Cat101

I applied the first week in June, it's now the 11th of August and still no word or sign of payment. As a single parent of three, I'm starting to get really worried as there is only about three weeks left untill school starts. Has anyone had this payment yet?


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## menna

hi cat101 im the same as u . i sent mine the 1st week in june and not had any word .im a single parent with two kids .is there no number we can ring to see whats happing as its only 3 weeks left .


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## helens

hi,sorry if this has been asked already but can i get it for a 3yr old(only child) who will be hopefully starting playschool(if we can figure out away off getting the money together)Husband earns €580 pw & we get a medical card,no fis or any other supplement


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## Cat101

I got it for my eldest when he started school aged 5 and they automatically sent out a payment for my 3 year old also, Thinking it was a mistake and that they would come looking for a refund; I questioned it and they said my 3 yr old was intitled to it as he was at preschool age. You should apply for it.
I phoned my local clinic who use to deal with it and asked them for a contact number but she said they don't have a number..?? I find my self waiting for the postman everyday.The poor lad is only about 17 I'm sure he thinks I fancy him!


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## samanthajane

helens said:


> hi,sorry if this has been asked already but can i get it for a 3yr old(only child) who will be hopefully starting playschool(if we can figure out away off getting the money together)Husband earns €580 pw & we get a medical card,no fis or any other supplement


 
The limit for a couple with 1 child is €560 per week, so your just over but i would apply anyway and see if you can get it. You can recieve the back to school allowance when your child is 2 years old. 



Cat101 said:


> I got it for my eldest when he started school aged 5 and they automatically sent out a payment for my 3 year old also, Thinking it was a mistake and that they would come looking for a refund; I questioned it and they said my 3 yr old was intitled to it as he was at preschool age. You should apply for it.
> I phoned my local clinic who use to deal with it and asked them for a contact number but she said they don't have a number..?? I find my self waiting for the postman everyday.The poor lad is only about 17 I'm sure he thinks I fancy him!


 
nothing wrong with a toyboy lol


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## Cat101

Lol!!
I got a number for them!! At last!!
Tel:1890 300655. 
I phoned and they said payment will be issued in the next week to week and a half. Phew! That will give me a few days to source and buy uniforms x3. I just hope they will have everything I need in sizes I need.


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## gipimann

helens said:


> hi,sorry if this has been asked already but can i get it for a 3yr old(only child) who will be hopefully starting playschool(if we can figure out away off getting the money together)Husband earns €580 pw & we get a medical card,no fis or any other supplement


 
You must be in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in order to be eligible for the Back to School scheme (as well as be under the income limits for your family size).

If wages are the only income, then you will not be eligible for the scheme.


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## dubinamerica

is it still possible to apply for this?  If it's just social welfare being received is that all that is considered, or is salary from very start of the year used to average out? Was working at start of year, but on JB at minute. 

Also- are savings used to determine income? 

Are outgoings taken into effect?   Have never applied for this, but we have a 15 year old and a 3 year old so wondering if we may be entitled.


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## menna

hi guys just let u all no .i got my cheak for 400e today .happy days going to get kids school stuff now .


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## suemoo1

and i got mine thank god last week and i thought i might not be eligable so it was worth applying for


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## gipimann

dubinamerica said:


> is it still possible to apply for this? If it's just social welfare being received is that all that is considered, or is salary from very start of the year used to average out? Was working at start of year, but on JB at minute.
> 
> Also- are savings used to determine income?
> 
> Are outgoings taken into effect? Have never applied for this, but we have a 15 year old and a 3 year old so wondering if we may be entitled.


 
If you are on JB at the moment, then you can apply - your wages from earlier in the year won't be assessed.  If you were still working (e.g. part salary, part JB) then your current salary would be assessed.   The scheme is open until 30th September so you've plenty of time to apply.

Outgoings are not into account.


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## theredfox

what are you allowed to earn weekly/monthly  to be entilted to the allowance im on social welfare payment have 2 children 

many thanks


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## Cat101

theredfox said:


> what are you allowed to earn weekly/monthly to be entilted to the allowance im on social welfare payment have 2 children
> 
> many thanks


 All the info is here:
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...ack_to_school_clothing_and_footwear_allowance
You will need to apply before September (just under two weeks form now) So get on to it as soon as you can.


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## woodbine

Cat101 said:


> All the info is here:
> http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...ack_to_school_clothing_and_footwear_allowance
> You will need to apply before September (just under two weeks form now) So get on to it as soon as you can.


 

The closing date on this is September 30th 

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...ack_to_school_clothing_and_footwear_allowance


_"The scheme is open from 1 June to 30 September. To apply, fill in a Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance form (pdf). You can also get a form at your local health centre or text FORM BTSCFA followed by your name and address to 51909 (standard text rates apply)."_


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## theredfox

thanks for all the info


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## lorr27

Hi all, still no sign of back to school allowance and the kids are back to school on monday! I reckon the government want to see if all the kids go back to school in full uniform and will then have reason to abolish the payment next year. It is an absolute disgrace that we get crucified like this from all directions. I rang the locall number this morning and was told to leave my query after the automated message. I am livid!!


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## senni

Hi Gipiman

Can these Back to school allowances application forms be posted in ( live in Midlands Area ) or do you have to go into your local Community Welfare branch and meet the Officer first ?

What would you suggest ?

Thanks

Senni ( again )


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## gipimann

Senni,

Application arrangements for the various areas may be found here -

[broken link removed]


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## DebeK

I applied in July and got a request for more info, which I sent the first week of August.  Nothing back from them as yet, so I will have to ring the number.  I have had to write a note to school about not having the money yet for books or supplies.  Anyone else in same situation?


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## DesignA

Am i correct in saying that one must be in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in order to be eligible for the Back to School scheme as well as be under the income limits for your family size, that if wages are the only income, then you will not be eligible for the scheme.


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## gipimann

DesignA said:


> Am i correct in saying that one must be in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in order to be eligible for the Back to School scheme as well as be under the income limits for your family size, that if wages are the only income, then you will not be eligible for the scheme.


 
Yes - you must be in receipt of a SW payment in order to qualify.  

If wages are below the limit for the family size for the Back to School scheme, then the family may qualify for Family Income Supplement which is a qualifying payment for the Back to School scheme.   

If FIS is in payment, it is not counted as income when deciding entitlement to the BtoS scheme.


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