Parents receiving the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP ) will be able to claim the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance this yearSocial Protection Minister Heather Humphreys has announced that funding for the scheme has trebled, to almost €153m, to take account of families’ changed circumstances due to Covid-19. The allowance is a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear. Expand Close Heather Humphreys / FacebookTwitterEmailWhatsapp Heather HumphreysStudents aged between 18 and 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2020. “The allocation for the scheme this year is €152.9 million to take into account the increased number of families who continue to depend on the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment,” she said. To qualify for the allowance, a person must be in receipt of certain social welfare payments (including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment) or taking part in training, employment or adult education schemes and the total household income must be below certain thresholds.

Source: Irish Independent August 06, 2020 16:18 UTC