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. Household expenditure is not taken into consideration when assessing an applicant’s household income.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is a non-statutory scheme not subject to the Social Welfare appeals process. Where an applicant is not satisfied with a decision in relation to a Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance application they may apply to have this decision reviewed. This review is carried out by an officer other than the original deciding officer.
A review of the determination that the person concerned was not eligible under the rules of the scheme was undertaken in August and has been reviewed again in October. The application for the allowance has not been awarded because the household income is in excess of the relevant income limit. Details of the income assessed has been sent to the person concerned.
Applications which fall outside the normal rules of the scheme may be considered for an Additional Needs Payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme by the Community Welfare Service, where any exceptional expenditure or outgoings will be taken into consideration.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service. There is a National Community Welfare Service Contact Centre in place – 0818-607080 – which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
