Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 September 2022
249. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection in cases in which a person is in receipt of the working family payment, if she will consider extending the age limit for child dependents in full-time education where the student is studying a six-year medicine course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45300/22]
View answerThe Working Family Payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees, with children, who are on low earnings. It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.
Applicants for Working Family Payment must have at least one qualified child, who normally resides with them or is part of a family wholly or mainly supported by them. A qualified child is one under 18 years of age or a child between the ages of 18 and 22 who is attending full-time day education.
There are approximately 47,000 families with 103,000 children who are currently in receipt of the WFP. The estimated spend on the WFP in 2022 is €349 million. In Budget 2022 I provided for a €10 weekly increase in the Working Family Payment income limits for families of all sizes and this came into effect from April.
While there are no plans currently to extend the age limit for child dependents in full-time education for those in receipt of the Working Family Payment, the supports provided by my Department are kept under review, particularly in the context of the Budget.
