2026 Back to School Bonus
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WQ.138/2026
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
BY CONNÉTABLE OF ST. HELIER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 6th JULY 2026 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 13th JULY 2026
Question
"Will the Minister confirm whether eligibility for the 2026 Back to School Bonus is assessed solely on a household's combined income in 2025 where the family is not receiving Income Support at the time the payment is made and, if that is the case, will she advise –
- whether any discretion, review or exceptional-circumstances process is available for families whose current or anticipated income is substantially lower than their income in 2025;
- what assessment was made of the effect of using a historic income threshold on larger families, particularly those with several school-age children and high private rental costs; and
- whether she will consider introducing a discretionary reassessment process based on current or projected household income so that families facing a substantial and evidenced change in circumstances are not excluded from any support intended to help meet the costs of the September 2026 school year?"
Answer
The rules for the Back to School Bonus were established by a Ministerial Decision (MD-SOSEC-2026- 436) signed on 16th April 2026 by the previous Minister for Social Security.
This is a pilot, non-statutory scheme, which has been established by the above Ministerial Decision. The application process ends on the 31st July 2026. It would not be appropriate to change the eligibility criteria towards the end of the application process, as it would create confusion.
In line with the rules as set out in that Ministerial Decision, I can confirm that, for families who do not receive Income Support, eligibility is based on 2025 earned income and the scheme does not provide for any review or discretionary reassessment.
I would encourage any family who has experienced a significant drop in income since last year, or is struggling financially, to approach the Employment, Social Security and Housing Department for advice on claiming Income Support and other available benefits. Additionally, if the Connétable has a specific case in mind, I would encourage this to be raised directly with either myself or the Department.