Vol. 441 No. 1
65 Mr. Nolan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the existing family income supplement scheme to cover the self-employed who can find themselves in situations where their income is low and who are currently excluded from the family income supplement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Family income supplement is available to employees bringing up families on low earnings. Extension of the scheme to self-employed families could have significant financial implications and could be considered only in the light of available resources.
The Government is committed under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work to helping low income self-employed and farming families. This involves an extensive range of tax relief measures, locally-based rural development plans and various other strategic initiatives designed to assist households engaged in farming. In this context, the programme pledges the Government to review the issue of family income supplement. This review will concentrate on the short and longer term policy changes which are necessary to address the problem.
As the Deputy will know, self-employed people whose income falls below the rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to their family circumstances are entitled to claim an unemployment assistance payment. The rate of unemployment assistance payable depends on their means. In assessing means account is taken of the net income which the applicant may reasonably expect to receive in the next year.
