Families who are on social welfare including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, who have not received a letter from the Department of Social Protection regarding their eligibility for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, to check if they can avail of the scheme.

The scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of school clothing and footwear when children start school each autumn. The allowance is payable in July.

Those who qualify automatically have already received a letter stating when and how their allowance will be paid.

Those families who do not qualify automatically but may be eligible can visit www.mywelfare.ie to apply as the scheme is now open.