Peadar Tóibín
Question:13. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reducing the income thresholds used to assess qualification for family income supplement. [25715/13]
View answerWednesday, 29 May 2013
Questions (13, 51)
Mary Lou McDonald
Question:51. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will direct her Department to begin a public awareness campaign to highlight the availability of family income supplement. [25716/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 51 together.
The family income supplement or FIS payment is designed to provide income for employees on low earnings with families. The FIS payment preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he/she was unemployed and claiming other social welfare payments. I am happy to inform the Deputy that the processing of all FIS applications both new and renewal made to my Department are fully up to date. It should be noted that total FIS claim intake rose from 37,597 in 2007 to 51,214 in 2011 and at present there are just over 40,440 families who are benefiting from the scheme. Expenditure on FIS for 2012 was of €224 million with estimated expenditure for 2013 to be of the order of €229 million.
The FIS payment preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he/she was 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, or is supported by him or her. Furthermore, the average family income must be below an income threshold which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family.
FIS income thresholds have been maintained at the same level since 2010. Prior to this FIS income thresholds had risen broadly in line with equivalent social welfare rates so as to maintain their value relative to unemployment payments. A reduction in income thresholds would have financial implications which would have to be considered in the context of the budget. There are no plans to do so currently.
More generally, I recognise that creating jobs and tackling poverty are two of the key challenges that we face. It is essential that our tax and social protection systems play their part in addressing these issues and ensure that work is worthwhile. To this end, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience in order to address a number of specific issues. These include making cost-effective proposals for improving employment incentives and achieving better poverty outcomes, particularly child poverty outcomes. In this regard the Group is currently examining the issue of working age supports, which includes consideration of in-work supports such as FIS.
The availability of FIS is currently advertised and promoted by means of a number of appropriate and cost-effective methods. The Department of Social Protection’s website provides a description of the qualifying conditions and contact details along with examples of the families that can qualify. A visitor to the website can access comprehensive and easily understandable information about the payment and download an application form and information booklet. From 16 January 2013, the date on which the new Departmental website was launched, to date, the FIS pages have received almost 40,000 page views. Further prominence will be given to FIS on the Department’s website shortly as it is planned to advertise the scheme on the revolving banner on the Department’s home page. Information is also available through the Citizen’s Information Service and on their website.
The Department recently undertook a series of road shows around the country designed to inform employers of Intreo, the new integrated one-stop shop service in the Department, and to let employers know about all the incentives that are available to encourage them to employ people from the live register. These events provided an opportunity for employers to learn about the wide range of support services provided by the Department, including FIS. Information on FIS forms part of the Department’s employer information pack which is available via the website and the Department’s employment support service staff throughout the country are fully briefed on FIS.
My Department is shortly to embark on a poster campaign in all the Department’s local offices and the Department’s information officers and employer liaison officers have recently been briefed on the qualifying criteria and supports that FIS provides for employees with families on low incomes.
Question No. 14 answered with Question No. 9.