Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 March 2012
267 Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is the case that those completing the An Bord Altranais requirement at the end of a nursing degree to complete a six month paid internship are ineligible for family income supplement while doing so; and if this is the case, to ask that this could be changed so that the FIS scheme could incorporate persons, especially lone parents in this situation. [15437/12]
View answerThe family income supplement (FIS) payment provides income support for employees on low earnings with children. The payment preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were unemployed and claiming other social welfare payments.
To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. The applicant must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with him/her or is supported by him/her. Furthermore, the average family income must be below a specified amount which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family. In order to determine eligibility for payment in any individual case, an application form should be submitted in conjunction with supporting documentation to the Department's FIS section. Further information, including application forms, on all schemes administered by the Department is available on the Department's website: www.welfare.ie
