Darren O'Rourke
Question:663. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €35 for all children. [21979/21]
View answerWednesday, 28 April 2021
Questions (663)
Written answers
The back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) 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.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom an increase for a qualified child increase is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom an increase for a qualified child is being paid.
The rates of payment for the 2021 scheme are €150 for eligible children aged 4 to 11 and €275 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education. In 2020, payments were made to 143,300 families in respect of 264,453 qualified children at a cost of €54.1m.
Based on the total number of children in respect of whom payments were made on the scheme in 2020, the estimated full year cost of increasing the BSCFA rates by €35 is €63.4 million, an increase of €9.3m or 17% on the 2020 figure.
Any increases to the rates of payment for the BSCFA scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.