The Back to School Clothing and Footwear (BSCFA) is a payment to help families with the cost of school uniforms and shoes. Many families get it automatically.

Can I get the BSCFA?

You can get the BSCFA if you have a child who qualifies, and:

• You are getting a qualifying social welfare payment, or are participating in an approved employment, education or training support scheme.
• Your household is within the BSCFA income limits.
• You and each child you claim the BSCFA for are resident in Ireland.
• If you are getting a social welfare payment, you must be getting a Child Support Payment (previously called an Increase for a Qualified Child or IQC) with your payment. There are some exceptions to this.

What happens if I don’t get a Child Support Payment with my social welfare payment?

If you are getting a qualifying social welfare payment but you don’t get a Child Support Payment, you can still claim BSCFA if the rules of your payment do not provide for a child payment (e.g. Maternity Benefit and Adoptive Benefit), or your spouse or partner’s income is over the specified limit for your payment, but your overall household income is within the BSCFA income limits. You must meet the other rules for getting BSCFA.

Does my child qualify?

To get the BSCFA, your child must be:

• Aged between 2-17 on September 30th in the year you apply.
• Aged between 18-22 and returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school in the autumn of the year you apply.
• You child must be resident in Ireland.

How much is the BSCFA?

For children aged between 2 and 11 on September 30th the rate of payment is €160. For children aged between 12 and 22 on the same date the rate of payment is €285. Note: children aged between 18-22 must be returning to full-time second level education in a recognised school in the autumn of 2026.

How to apply for the BSCFA

You don’t need to apply for the BSCFA if you get the payment automatically. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) will let you know if you are paid automatically using your MyWelfare account or by post. If you don’t hear from the DSP by the end of June, you must apply for BSCFA online, even if you got the BSCFA payment last year. If you don’t get the payment automatically, you can apply for the BSCFA online at MyWelfare.ie. You will need a verified MyGovID account. You can also apply using paper form. Applications for BSCFA will close on September 30th 20206.

If you need further information contact your local Citizens Information Service in Bantry (Monday to Thursday 10am-5pm, Friday 10am-4pm) or ring 0818 07 8390. Alternatively you can email on [email protected] or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie