Minister Calleary Expands Back-to-School Allowance to Include 2 and 3-Year-Olds
Minister Dara Calleary announced the 2026 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is now open, extended to include 2 and 3-year-olds for the first time. This €60.4 million scheme will automatically pay over 109,000 families in July, providing €160-€285 per child to help with school costs.
Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has opened applications for the 2026 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. This year, the scheme is extended to include children aged 2 and 3 for the first time, expected to qualify approximately 37,000 additional children.
The government is providing €60.4 million for the scheme this year. The payment rates for 2026 are €160 for children aged 2-11 and €285 for those aged 12 and over in second-level education. Over 109,000 families, representing almost 202,000 children, will automatically receive payments totaling over €42 million during the week of July 13th. These families will be notified via MyWelfare account or post.
Families not receiving automatic notification should apply online at www.MyWelfare.ie from June 3rd. The closing date for applications is September 30th, 2026. Last year, the scheme supported over 144,000 families with 256,000 children.