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SOME OF IRELAND’S most struggling families could be forced to wait until well into October, or later, in order to receive their government allowances for school clothing and footwear.
This evening the Department of Social Protection confirmed that it had received tens of thousands of applications for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) – causing a massive backlog in the processing of applications.
Having only opened applications for this year’s BSFCA at the start of July, the Department is currently only processing applications received in the second week of that month.
With 66,000 applications received for the allowance so far, and the Department only able to process 1,000 applications a day, it could be months before some successful applicants begin to receive the allowance – with the school year beginning in just a few days.
An internal memo sent by the Department to the country’s Citizens’ Information Centres last Friday confirmed that the former was still processing applications received on July 12 – just eight days into the window for applications.
A further memo bearing today’s date, seen by TheJournal.ie, said the Department was still processing applications dated July 12 – potentially indicating that the backlog of applications could take months to clear.
The two memos confirm that while the Department’s offices have been accepting applications for over seven weeks, only applications received before early in the second week have yet been appraised.
The memos ask Citizens’ Information offices to advise customers that they should not directly contact the Department, lodging queries about the status of their application, until at least eight weeks after their application has been submitted.
They also said the Department would write to all applicants as soon as a decision has been made on their applications – and advise offices that applicants should not call the Department for direct information on whether they have been approved or denied.
Parents qualifying for the allowance are entitled to receive €200 for children aged 11 and under, and €305 for children between 12 and 22, to cover the costs of clothing their children for school.
The majority of the 66,000 applications for the BSCFA received so far, the Department has confirmed, are from people who are already in receipt of vital allowances like the Disablement Allowance, Occupational Injury Benefit and Carer’s Payments.
127,000 customers were automatically approved for the payment at the start of June, based on having qualified previously and having already met the criteria for this year.
Figures given by the Department earlier this month indicated that over 40,000 applications had been received by then – but the Department now faces a face against time as the backlog continues to mount with just days to go until the start of the school year.
A spokesperson for the Department failed to return contact with TheJournal.ie when asked to confirm the contents of yesterday’s memo to Citizen’s Information Offices.
This year marks the first time in which the payment has been directly administered by the Department, at its offices in Letterkenny. It was previously administered by the HSE, who last year had to take on extra staff as demand for the allowance surged.
The Department has assigned €82m for the payment this year, an increase on last year’s allocation of €77.4m.
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The Government shouldnt have gone on fookin Holiday!!! Too many issues need to be addressed… YESTERDAY!!!
…less of the thumbs down there now Enda! I know where ye live!!!
Theres 450’000 people without a job give them a temp contract to clear the backlog. Get your arses back off Holidays and in to the Dail and get it sorted Burton!!!!!! That what you’re put there for!!!!
Let the schools buy books and rent them to children. Even with relatively frequent changes in textbooks schools should recoup costs after a few years rental. Uniforms are better than no uniforms (less items to buy, you get more wear out of them) but individualised or crested uniforms should be banned so parents can buy the cheapest possible generic uniforms from the likes of Penneys or Heatons. If a school insists on a crest it should be sold separately by the school for a couple of euro and be sewn or velcroed on. The fact that books and uniforms cost parents hundreds per child per year is shocking given the circumstances we’re in – a lot of families who are not eligible for BTSA would still have trouble meeting these costs.
Thats sense! Which unfortunately our government seems to lack.
Nail. When I was in school in Dublin (about ten years ago), nearly every kid had a guineys school uniform with the crest sown on. Well that’s the way it was in o’connells anyway.
Perfect sense, Niall. I also likethe idea of giving kids a KIndle with all their schoolbooks uploaded. Common sense is the way forward,
Would prefer to see books etc been bought direct by government. Then they could get bulk discount and it would ensure the money is actually going on the books etc
1000 applications a day
that’s 125 applications an hour
for an 8 hour day
Say that’s 125 people
1 person per application per hour per working day
A 1000 people would do it 8 times faster and clear the backlog in roughly a week and a bit
The average weekly paid hours in the public sector for Q1 2011 is 30.5 hours. That’s about 6 hours a day.
Minister Burton I would be more than happy to help in any way with the backlog. Contact me ASAP.
This used be dealt with by Community Welfare Officers. This is the result of centralisation. Cost cutting.
What is the children"allowance for.
Children.
I know someone who rang about BTSA and could not get through to anyone and the message was do not contact this number if you have not got your BTSA in 6 weeks. She had to borrow the money to pay for school uniform and books.
Solution is simple. Abandon the whole school uniform system. It’s outdated. No more need for BTSA.
How’s that then?
Agreed, either get rid of the school uniform or every school picks generic uniforms.
Too many schools have very specific uniform styles and colours meaning you have to buy it in a specific shop from a certain company.
These companys can charge what they like knowing that x amount of parents will have to buy this uniform.
In addition many schools have crests and many crests can’t be bought seperate from the clothing so again parents are stuck buying specific expensive clothing.
Instead parents should be able to buy generic clothing and buy a seperate crest to stick on
Crests? That is not even the extent. My little sister has to buy a ‘special’ scarf, (which wouldnt keep anyone warm), and ‘special’ jackets – which cost over 40 euro. This is ridiculous, and costly. There is no need for it!
why didn’t any of the numptys in the department have the foresight to see it coming ?? O that’s right they were on their jollys !!!! typical Irish government
Same goverment.Different name.Wasters the lot of them.
+1 on a rental scheme
+1 on doing away with the uniform altogether. Most European countries have a more trusting and respectful school system. Teachers are referred to by their first name and children wear their own clothes. It removes the sense of authority and control.
Another suggestion would be for teachers to become involved in processing the applications. As one poster has pointed out, only a few extra people will make a difference in sorting out the problem. It’d only be a few days work or even just one day’s work and it wouldn’t be a major inconvenience for teachers who are on their holidays.
Or you could outsource the paperwork every year but I don’t know if that’s feasible.
Have to say the last thing needed in alot of schools is to remove any sense of authority, many teachers have a had enough time as it is.
Good thinking David, it wouldn take long off the teachers paid holidays, and def a rental scheme on books and stop changing the books every year. even get the school to sell the crests at a small profit
Books and the syllabus change too frequently. Why not go down the technological route, where a once off expense on laptops is required with the subjects preloaded. The expense will drop in the coming years and the learning process would improve.
I think a kindle would be much better than a laptop. way cheaper and alot harder to crash :)
<3 Kindles :) Haha
There was a report that found corruption when it came down to the inexcusable over printing of books due to unwarranted syllabus change a few years ago…but that produced no effect.
They are all lining their pockets because they can see technology coming.
But them responsible will ensure the tech-evolution of schools will be an extremely slow happening.
It’s cool to say do away with uniforms..but most families can’t afford to keep up with child-trend setters and it’s hard for kids going into school with johnny beside him is wearing airmax and Mary sporting Prada. And uniforms are hardy. I like the idea of no uniforms but they definitely keep the washing and ironing to a minimum :)
Some times I think our country is one big backlog
Some people who never received it before got it without even applying. And the ones who DID get it last year have to fill in forms and re-apply and are then told they have to wait 8 weeks????????
i think people with no children haven’t a clue what they are going on about! the costs involved in sending kids to school is ridiculous…the whole system needs to be changed! books can’t even be passed down to younger children as they seem to change them every year, crested uniforms are simply a way to make more money from people who simply don’t have it & may i point out, that in most cases the back to school allowance doesn’t even cover the cost to get kids back to school…..free education my ar*se!!! we all want the best education for our children…god knows many of them will go on to clean up this god forsaken mess our ‘well rested’ government have made….so instead of causing more grief to people only wanting what is best for their children, why don’t people start speaking up, we’re a great country for talking & giving out about things that we don’t like, but when are we actually going to get up of our backsides & start demanding change???!
Why do we have this allowance ? is this not what children allowance is for ? if 1 has kids 1 should plan for the costs rather than look for the state for another hand out
Did you know this allowance is paid for children from age two ! A two year old doesn’t not qualify for free playschool and I personally think it is a waste of money to supply children from 2 years old with back to school allowance
I’ve never received btsa . I tend to use the child benefit during through summer months for getting whatever they need for school. Though i have found since i can buy the crests separately the uniforms are working out a lot cheaper this year.
All very well saying if you have children you should be prepared for the cost Children cost increasuing amounts of money for 18 years anyone know any phschics who can predict the economy and emplyoment options for the next 20 years accurately it could be given out to couples planning a family.
I agree with getting rid of crested uniforms, I had to buy two tracksuit pants and a crested sweater for my 7 year old this yr and they cost â
I think almost everyone is in agreement to have a uniform – but generic or “unified dressing” as it’s called in the U.S. I would also like to point out that regardless of cost, a lot of these uniforms are impractical, uncomfortable and rarely fit the child properly, i.e., they only come in certain sizes and one is buying to last three years. That said, how do you take up a hem on a kilt? Who in the world wears a kilt most days and how practical is it if you have to ride your bike to school? The sweaters are that itchy type of wool which the kids hate. However, it seems that comfort doesn’t even factor in here. Yep, our uniforms are utterly draconian.
Lets look at the figures for back to school: in particular, first year at secondary. My daughter’s uniform comes out to nearly 400, the books 375, school admin fee 150 and 20 for art supplies – that’s without binders, copies, etc., without shoes, socks, school bag and other misc. so one is looking a well over 1,000 Euros. Many of us got our allowance, but given that our accounts were in overdraft, the bank took it.!!!!
Worse, the people making these decisions and costing us a fortune are the very people educating our children?
I suppose to be among the127,000 customers were automatically approved for the payment at the start of June, based on having qualified previously and having already met the criteria for this year but yet 2 days before my children back to school I didn’t see any letter and I ididn’t buy any books so far…
have your say