Applications for €285 social welfare payment to open later this year
Applications for a €285 social welfare payment will open later this year.The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off, means tested payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear. As announced in Budget 2026, eligible two and three-year-olds will now be included in the scheme.The rate of payment for 2026 is €160 for eligible children aged two to 11 and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education. Since June 2025, if you are getting the Foster Care Allowance, you can apply for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for each foster child. To qualify for the payment, you must satisfy the conditions of the scheme.Applications for the scheme typically open in June and payments are made throughout the summer. Many families automatically qualify for the payment and don't need to apply.In 2025, over 126,000 families across the country availed of the scheme. You can find out more information about the payment here.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
