What cost of living benefits will be paid and what bills are going up in September

September is upon us, with thousands of households sending their children back to school and taking chunks out of their savings to pay for uniforms, lunches and more

September is definitely one of the most expensive months of the year, with parents having to fork over hundreds and even thousands of euros to send their children back to school.

However, there is some good news with several cost of living measures from Budget 2024 coming into effect during the first autumn month,

Here is everything you need to know this September:

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Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance

The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be paid the week starting 8 July 2024.

For a child aged from 4 to 11 years, the payment will be €160 and for those aged 12 to 22 it will be €285.

Fuel Allowance

Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter months. It is paid to only one person in a household.

The Fuel Allowance season normally begins in late September of each year and ends in April. The 2024/2025 Fuel Allowance season starts on Monday, 23 September 2024. It will be paid for 28 weeks.

The current rate of Fuel Allowance is €33 per week. You can choose to get the Fuel Allowance paid every week or paid in 2 instalments.

Free schoolbooks for post-primary schools

Free schoolbooks will be provided to Junior Cycle students from September 2024.

Childcare

The National Childcare Scheme hourly subsidy will increase from €1.40 to €2.14, from September 2024.

Student contribution

From September 2024, the income threshold to qualify for the 100% Student Contribution will increase to €55,924.

Student grant

Maintenance grant rates will increase by €615 for all non-adjacent rates and by 10% for adjacent rates from September 2024 - a pro-rata increase will be available from January 2024.

There will be a full restoration of maintenance grants under the Student Grant Scheme for postgraduate students from September 2024.

Support for part-time students

From September 2024, a new pilot scheme will be available for part-time undergraduate students who are attending eligible part-time programmes, in-person or online, leading to a major award at Level 6, 7 or 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

PLC fees and charges

The PLC participant contribution fee of €200 was abolished in 2022, however students continue to face various other charges such as student services charges, application fees, exam fees and professional registration fees. It was announced in Budget 2024 that additional funding would be provided to abolish these charges and fees from September 2024.

Child Benefit

Child Benefit will be extended to children aged 18 who are in full-time education from September 2024.

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