Social Welfare Benefits

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023

Tuesday, 25 July 2023

Ceisteanna (729, 733, 746)

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

729. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to the Exchequer of retaining the €100 increase in the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. [36621/23]

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

733. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to the Exchequer to have access to the back-to-school allowance extended to foster carers for the benefit of the children in their care. [36687/23]

Seán Sherlock

Ceist:

746. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the dates that the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowances will be paid; the additional cost in a full year to retain the current €100 increase; the estimated cost to extend it to foster carers; the additional cost to provide the current payment to all school-going children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36762/23]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 729, 733 and 746 together.

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.

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment has been increased by €100 for the 2023 scheme year. The rates of payment for the 2023 scheme year are €260 for children aged between 4 and 11 years and €385 for children aged 12 and over.

This year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments began to issue week being 10 July. To date, 136,000 families in respect of 240,500 children have been awarded the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and these families have received their payment as outlined in their award notification.

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme remains open to new applications on www.mywelfare.ie until 30 September. Officers are processing applications as efficiently as possible and once the application is awarded, the payment will issue to the customer within the next 3 working days.

153,000 families in respect of 273,000 children were awarded the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payment in 2022. Using the total number of children benefitting for the scheme in 2022 as a basis, the additional cost in a full year to retain the current €100 increase is €27.3 million.

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is not payable in respect of foster children as the financial support provided to foster parents by Tusla, the foster care allowance, includes provision for the cost of clothing and footwear for the foster child. It is not possible to accurately quantify the additional number of families that would make an application if the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance was extended to foster children. Foster carers may qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in respect of children in the household for whom the foster care allowance is not received.

The additional cost to provide the current payment to all school-going children, based on 2022 primary and post primary enrolments figures is €215.6 million.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.