Some families forced to wait a month to get allowance

MORE than four-in-five of the record 160,000-plus applications for help with the cost of uniforms have been processed but families in some parts of the country must still wait up to a month after applying.

Families have until the end of September to apply to the HSE for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, but up to last Friday there were 10,000 more claims than the same time last year. Almost €59 million had been paid out to 109,500 households in the same time, €5m of it last week alone.

Applications are being finalised in just three days in some regions, such as the east of the country, but a surge in claims in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon in recent weeks meant 7,300 of the 14,500 forms received there were awaiting consideration. The latest indications from the HSE are that it is taking staff between a week and a month to finalise claims there, while an average wait of a month can be expected for those families applying for help in mid-west counties of Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary.

While the HSE is confident that all successful applicants who applied before mid-July will receive payments before schools reopen, it acknowledged that some will remain outstanding when the school year resumes.

“The most common delay is caused by forms being incorrectly filled in or not being accompanied by the required documentation. Some people also apply later than others,” a spokesperson said.

While 1,000 forms a day have been coming into the HSE in recent weeks, it said teams of dedicated staff are working to administer the scheme. The allowance is paid from the budget of the Minister Éamon Ó Cuív’s Department of Social Protection but is administered by the HSE.

An €82m budget has been set aside for payments this year and 160,000 families and more than 310,000 children are expected to benefit. The payments in 2010 are €200 for children of primary school ages and €305 in respect of those in second-level education. The larger amount is also payable for children aged 18 to 22 on September 30 who are in full-time education, with an additional €215 payable for those aged 18 only for whom compensatory child benefit is being paid.

The income limits to qualify for the allowance depend on the number of children in the household. For a lone parent with one child, the top weekly limit to be eligible is €410.10, rising to €439.90 if there are two children, rising similarly by €29.80 for each additional child.

The maximum income for a couple with one child is €563.60 a week, also rising by €29.80 for each extra child.

* Application forms are available on the Department of Social Protection website (www.welfare.ie) or by texting FORM BTSCFA 51909 followed by your name and address.