Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

mommysteph

I checked my account this morning, nothing... called the number which was posted here, and got a nasty man... swear you where asking him for the money.. refused to send me the form told me to download it and get on with it, said it would be september when I got if I qualified.

I called back to get the text number, got a woman.. she said I should have qualified but did.. and said that in fact 50% of persons whom should have got automatic payments didn't. She is sending me out a form, said they do hope to get through them but it could be 6 weeks or more.

I asked why they could not just automatically issue payment knowing that I qualify and was told it can not be done.

The 80% target... is at 30%...

Letters with forms attached should have been sent out to those the computer decided where not getting automatically.

Am very angry right now.. know 4 people whom did get, and all 4 sent the kids to the park and went to the pub..

I have had to borrow money against my child benefit to pay the school for uniforms... and then call ESB to pay my bill this month in installements as I now can not afford to pay them as I was from my child benefit.

Does the social actually care.. don't think they do... hope the form comes soon.

jackmax

I know its so frustrating isn't it. I know people who got it too who will drink it and that makes me sooooooooo mad :mad: what about us genuine people who can't afford to get the uniforms without it!!
I rang them yesterday and they sent me out the form and I got it today. hope it won't take forever now to get the payment and I agree that the people who should have been paid and weren't should just be paid now without having to reapply. its their fault :mad:

susie05

just wondering if their would be any point in applying for the allowence...We are married with 2 kids..& husband takes home €560 weekly..we dont recieve any other payment like FIS though(an going to apply though).i had a Med Card though.Thanks in advance

mommysteph

Am pleased to hear that at least the forms are being sent out straight away.. that is something better than nothing.

I actually was so mad I contacted RTE news and told (did not ask) them they should do a report on this matter, with the hope next year its not the same.

They should have a system to pay those whom they know should have been paid without all this..

Am so mad.. I actually feel like getting drunk.. even thou I do not drink.. seems to me decent people get nothing without a fight.. am so fed up.

mommysteph

susie05 wrote: »

just wondering if their would be any point in applying for the allowence...We are married with 2 kids..& husband takes home €560 weekly..we dont recieve any other payment like FIS though(an going to apply though).i had a Med Card though.Thanks in advance

If you go to page one of the posts it tells all about limits - copied this for you..
''Income limit for Couple
Couple with: Income limit
1 child
€563.60
2 children
€593.40
3 children
€623.20
4 children
€653.00

You said 2 kids, 560 wages going by these figures you should qualify.. so do.

Once you apply for FIS you will be over the limit..but it is worth it.

jayjayxxx

mommysteph wrote: »

I checked my account this morning, nothing... called the number which was posted here, and got a nasty man... swear you where asking him for the money.. refused to send me the form told me to download it and get on with it, said it would be september when I got if I qualified.

I called back to get the text number, got a woman.. she said I should have qualified but did.. and said that in fact 50% of persons whom should have got automatic payments didn't. She is sending me out a form, said they do hope to get through them but it could be 6 weeks or more.

I asked why they could not just automatically issue payment knowing that I qualify and was told it can not be done.

The 80% target... is at 30%...

im the same had to spend bill money on uniforms today so have to pay this weeks bills next week which is my little girls birthday very annoyin as i also know people who spent theres on drink or themselves

mishboys

hi i had the pleasure of spending 19mins on hold waiting to speak to a human..in the end i ran out of credit before i got to talk to anyone to find out whats going on..im still hoping that maybe in the next few days i might get word ..to all who have put up posts thank you.social welfare could learn alot from this site..

mommysteph

First call was over half an hour if not more to speak to someone, all the time thinking my bill is going to be sky high. The second time I went to the choose 1 - and he went so fast with the details for the text I hardly caught a third of the information, with no repeat.. so the 3rd call was another good 20 mins or more to speak to someone. They mess up, we get the addional stress, and the addional charge on the bill. Do they care like hell they do.

Wish the goverment would catch themselves on - seen the form online, they already have all this information.. stupid.

cee_jay

There is a LOT of generalisations and general bashing of Social Welfare recipients going on in this thread. I would like to remind everyone of what IS and IS NOT acceptable on this forum. Please read the forum charter before posting.

mommysteph

Phone yesterday after 2pm... got the form today... and posted back straight away.
Form is very simple, all information the social already has. There will be a wait but the 6 week comment may just be to stop people from calling up all the time, to give themselves breathing space. Time to just wait.

scoobisnacks

mommysteph wrote: »

If you go to page one of the posts it tells all about limits - copied this for you..
''Income limit for Couple
Couple with: Income limit
1 child
€563.60
2 children
€593.40
3 children
€623.20
4 children
€653.00

You said 2 kids, 560 wages going by these figures you should qualify.. so do.

Once you apply for FIS you will be over the limit..but it is worth it.

I was sure that FIS did not count towards your income limit for the BTSCFA. It's on the welfare.ie website - neither does Child Benefit.

mommysteph

scoobisnacks wrote: »

I was sure that FIS did not count towards your income limit for the BTSCFA. It's on the welfare.ie website - neither does Child Benefit.

Can only go by my own experience a few years back. I was working, and had FIS but I also had LP.. I was told then the FIS did count, so it must have changed which is good, as I was over the limit by 2 euro.. but I could manage then so I was okay.

If the FIS is not counted even better... Best of luck.

egan2020

Are the income limits listed on the website gross or net?

jackmax

I would imagine they are net.

I am sending off my form tomorrow cos had to wait for my OH's payslip to come in and of course just cos I needed it for something it was delayed this week :mad:

I was just thinking too that maybe people who have had to apply can come back on here to update when they receive their payment, like how long it took to come? I will come on anyway and let ye know when (hopefully!!) I receive mine

LegacyUser

Hi, I haven't received any letter from department yet and because I got the payment last year and my circumstances havn't changed I should have had mine processed automatically this year. I rang the department and they informed me that if i hadn't received a letter by the end of June I would need to apply by application form..
So if you havn't had a letter sent out to you yet then get an application form asap!!

LegacyUser

Karen23 wrote: »

C.E participants dont qualify for Back to School Allowance , My dad recently finished his C.E and he qualified this year for the first time and I did C.E for two years and never got it.

no i think you can get the grant when you partner is on the ce scheme check it online on department of family and social affairs

keithzer

Did anyone get payment from this yet?

shreks donkey

Yeah I got mine the end of last month automatically with my weeky payment

keithzer

Is there anyone still waiting

mrsbyrne

keithzer wrote: »

Is there anyone still waiting

If you havnt received it and you think you might be entitled, here is the application form:
http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Forms/Documents/BSCFA.pdf
print it off, fill it up, dont forget to enclose evidence, post it off asap, no stamp required.

keithzer

I sent off 2 weeks ago ill wait and see. Thanks for the reply's.

jackmax

I didn't get it automatically and sent off the form about 2 wks ago too and haven't heard anything yet heard it will take about 6 wks though I will let ye know when I hear something

LeGioN of PaddY

mommysteph wrote: »

I checked my account this morning, nothing... called the number which was posted here, and got a nasty man... swear you where asking him for the money.. refused to send me the form told me to download it and get on with it, said it would be september when I got if I qualified.

I called back to get the text number, got a woman.. she said I should have qualified but did.. and said that in fact 50% of persons whom should have got automatic payments didn't. She is sending me out a form, said they do hope to get through them but it could be 6 weeks or more.

I asked why they could not just automatically issue payment knowing that I qualify and was told it can not be done.

The 80% target... is at 30%...

Letters with forms attached should have been sent out to those the computer decided where not getting automatically.

Am very angry right now.. know 4 people whom did get, and all 4 sent the kids to the park and went to the pub..

I have had to borrow money against my child benefit to pay the school for uniforms... and then call ESB to pay my bill this month in installements as I now can not afford to pay them as I was from my child benefit.

Does the social actually care.. don't think they do... hope the form comes soon.

If everybody who gets treated in this way complains throught the correct channels. There is only so much a person can get away with, one or two complaints fine. But if this person continues to rack up complaints something will be done!
Well in the private sector anyway, public sector maybe????????

koptart

I got my letter today to say I got it after posting the form off on 30th June. I can collect it in the local Post office. I got it last year but didnt get it automatically this year. Myself and my husband are both on CE Schemes.

jackmax

oh thats great to hear they must be getting through them fast enough so, well faster than usual I sent mine off on the 4th of july cos I was waiting for my OH's wage slip so fingers crossed i will hear from them soon.
thanks for letting us know

mishboys

oh its great that people that have applied by form are getting payments..praying that i recieve mine this week..thanks for letting us know:):)

mommysteph

I got the form sent out on the 30th, and recieved the form the next day and posted the form same day.
I checked my back on Saturday and the payment was there, I recieved a letter yesterday to say that the payment was issued.. seems to be about 2 weeks.. which is really good.
I managed to get all the uniforms and shoes I needed, and the school was open so I went in and paid for the school uniform parts that had to be paid in school. Now all done, can relax.:D

mishboys

hi just wondering has anybody else recieved their payment that applied by form?? thanks.

Offy

mishboys wrote: »

hi just wondering has anybody else recieved their payment that applied by form?? thanks.

Not yet Im afraid.

jackmax

no i didnt get mine yet either. I rang them last thursday and they said mine wasnt processed yet :mad:

mishboys

i posted mine on the 1st and tought that i would have heard by now..i also rang on thurs and the person wouldnt even check to see if they had processed my form just kept telling me to wait for my letter...was not a happy bunny.:mad::mad: thanks for letting me know im not the only one waiting..

baldyrazor

Hi just letting you all know that I just got a phonecall telling me that my payment will be in the bank in the nxt 5 working days so they finally seem to b processing the forms. I sent mine on the 30th of June. Hopefully u will all receive word soon

sassa

I sent my form on the 4th so I rang them today to check and was told I could be waiting 6-8 weeks

heathcliff

I rang today and they checked my PPS number to see if it was being processed, my number didn't come up so was told that I would be in for the 6-8 week wait:(..The only good thing from this is that now I know!!!

mishboys

oh happy days i got it this morning...i posted mine on the 1st of july..ive spent the morning thanking god..ive got to get my 3 girls sorted today..hope ye all get good news too:D:D:D

jackmax

thats great you got it
I still didnt hear a thing
was yours in the bank or the post office? and did you get a letter first? I posted mine on the 4th of july

mishboys

it was in the post office for the past 3days but i only got letter this morning..hope ye all recieve it soon..

LegacyUser

heathcliff wrote: »

I rang today and they checked my PPS number to see if it was being processed, my number didn't come up so was told that I would be in for the 6-8 week wait:(..The only good thing from this is that now I know!!!

was just wondering is it from the date you posted your form or from now that you will have to wait the 6 8 weeks the children will back at school if its 6 8 weeks from now

jackmax

I received my letter today to say we do not qualify :mad: WTF!!!! I am sooo angry. I don't know where they are getting their figures from I am gutted
Hope ye have better luck than me anyway

heathcliff

beltanygirl wrote: »

was just wondering is it from the date you posted your form or from now that you will have to wait the 6 8 weeks the children will back at school if its 6 8 weeks from now

From the date the applications were available is what I was told but you never know!!!

heathcliff

jackmax wrote: »

I received my letter today to say we do not qualify :mad: WTF!!!! I am sooo angry. I don't know where they are getting their figures from I am gutted
Hope ye have better luck than me anyway

Sorry to hear that Did you think that you were entitled to it??? , can you appeal the decision??

jackmax

at the end of the letter it says you cant appeal it but you can get a review whatever that is they said that our income was 577 or something in that region but i get 79.50 social welfare and my partners wage is roughly around 523.00 to take home. his wage slip that we sent in had that amount on it. it varies though cos he works nights every week so some weeks its a little more but i was sure that we were entitled. we have 4 kids but can only claim for 3 cos my partner's daughters mam claims for her. but the limit was 623 for 3 kids and we were under that i thought

heathcliff

By what you are saying you should be entitled??? You could ring these they might be able to help

http://www.inou.ie/

good luck and let us know how you got on..

jackmax

thanks a million, I have just emailed that crowd now so will let you know when/if I hear back. thanks again

mishboys

oh god im sorry to hear that you didnt get it..if you dont get a reply from them go see the local social welfare officer they will help you..i got refused last year and i knew i was below the limit and the local officer was great..best of luck with it ...

jackmax

I got a reply from the email and they said that they go by the gross wage and take into account PRSI and travel expenses to work but my partner only works 5 mins away from here so I think its pointless to argue it. Im still so annoyed over it :mad:

heathcliff

So sorry to hear that...Just went back on to citizen information site to see if they did say about gross wage and they did, never read it properly...And agree with you that there is no point arguing in their decision Its such an expense getting them back to school..I am still waiting for a reply and have started to get a bit every week trying to spread out the cost!!!.. I think for next year I may start earlier, like a lot of other people will...Best of luck

lucy2010

Posted forms 4th - still heard nothing. Only 1 person I know ( out of millions) got it automaticly. Of all the remainding millions no one has received anything. Seems their 80% automatic qualificiation did not materialise - Huge chunk who received last year & previous years have had to apply manually. The kiddies school is a DEIS school so would have a large proportion of people who rely on this grant & like I say only know 1 parent who actually received a payment. Fingers & toes still crossed it comes in soon

heathcliff

@Lucy2010
Well we have had the complete opposite experience then because everyone I know who was entitled to it GOT it except me!!!:( like you and many others I am hoping it comes sooner rather than later..I applied around the 6th and still no word...I would have thought it would have been dealt with quicker since they had less to process!!!

mat cauthon

I am sure if you have a genuine "entitlement" you will get it. Unlike those thousands who will struggle hugely, budget, save scrimp and go without to get their kids off, without state help, because on paper they are too well off.