Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 2

Written Answers. - Child Support.

Andrew Boylan

Ceist:

254 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will give details of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; if the scheme is available to children attending pre-school; if the scheme is available to those between the ages of 17 and 22 attending college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11630/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards. The scheme is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. Certain people on low incomes who are in receipt of family income supplement may also qualify for assistance.

In order to qualify for the allowance, the claim must be in respect of a qualified child, the applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and they must satisfy a specified means test. A qualified child is one who falls into one of the age groups specified for the scheme and in respect of whom a child dependant allowance is payable.

The means test takes account of any income over and above the appropriate rate of widows and widowers contributory pension plus £5 where the guardian is single, and contributory old age pension plus £5 where the guardian is one of a couple. Where the income of a household exceeds these limits, the back to school clothing and footwear allowance is not payable.

Under the scheme an allowance of £43 is payable in respect of qualified children from two to 11 years and an allowance of £58 is payable in respect of qualified children from 12 to 22 years. The only documentation sought is a birth certificate for proof of age and proof that a child dependant allowance is payment in respect of the child.

The scheme opens for applications in all health boards from 1 June each year. My Department will request the boards to ensure that the majority of payments are made by the 31 July 1999 to enable parents to make the necessary purchases in the traditional back to school shopping month of August. Based on the experience of health board staff this represents the optimum time for payment of this allowance.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme will be reviewed during the course of 1999 as part of my Department's series of programme expenditure evaluations. The review will take into account the conclusions reached by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in his value for money examination of the administration of the scheme in 1998. Any changes recommended in the review of the scheme will be considered in the context of the budget.