Back To School allowance payments have been delayed - something the Department of Social Welfare has now apologised for.

Children are due back to school at the end of this month or early next and understandably parents are worried that the money - which helps with the cost of books, clothing, and footwear - might not land before then. This allowance provides a once-off payment that helps families with back-to-school expenses. The grant provides €125 for children aged 4-11 and €250 for children aged 12 and up. The deadline for the 2018 grant is September 30 but, according to the Irish Sun, many parents who applied weeks ago have still to hear anything back. The Department has said they're unable to answer phone calls on the matter, so parents are being made to sit tight and wait it out. A spokesperson for the Department said:

"The BSCFA section continues to experience some delays in processing the Back To School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) and the department continues to ask customers who have made an application to bear with us, while we work to clear the backlog as quickly as possible." "All applications received up until the 25th July have been acknowledged and customers will have received a text to let them know that their application is pending. "Applications received on the 6th and 9th July are currently being processed and these customers will shortly receive confirmation of the out come in writing; with payments issuing to eligible customers on a daily basis. "We will continue to provide updates on application processing dates/timelines on our website and via social media over the coming days."

So, if you applied for the grant around the beginning of July, it is likely that you will be hearing from the Department soon. For those of you who applied later, keep an eye out for information on their website and on social media. Some families are entitled to an automatic grant, meaning they don't have to fill out an application every year; if you think you are entitled to this grant, make an application to the Department. All automatic payments for 2018 have already gone through and were not impact by the current backlog.