Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
574. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is separated, has two children aged nine and seven and is in receipt of €200 maintenance, working 19 hours per week and receiving €190, is entitled to a one-parent family payment based upon these figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14219/14]
View answerOne parent family payment (OFP) is a social assistance payment for people who are parenting alone. The amount payable depends on an assessment of the parent’s weekly means. In assessing means, account is taken of all cash income which the person is receiving, including maintenance payments. Currently, earnings from employment or income from self-employment up to €90 per week are disregarded in the assessment of means, with the balance assessed at 50%. This means that people earning up to €90 per week are entitled to the full rate of payment. Other disregards which are offset from the gross earnings are PRSA/AVC contributions, superannuation, pension levy, PRSI and trade union subscriptions. No payment is due where weekly earnings exceed €425, regardless of family size.
In the assessment of maintenance, housing costs up to €95.23 per week are disregarded, with the balance assessed at 50%. As a result of this approach, a recipient will always retain at least half of any maintenance paid. On the basis of the information supplied by the Deputy, there may be entitlement to a reduced rate of one-parent family payment. Where a person is working a minimum of 19 hours each week, there may also be an entitlement to family income supplement (FIS), which is based on net weekly income (including any social welfare payment) and the number of children in the family. The current weekly income threshold for a two child family, above which no FIS is payable, is €602. If the Deputy wishes to forward me further details of the case, the Department will be in a position to provide a more detailed reply. Alternatively, the person can make enquires at his or her local Intreo Centre.
