Vol. 497 No. 5
281 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of claimants receiving family income supplement prior to the change to calculation on a net basis and since the change; if he has satisfied himself that people are being adequately informed of their entitlements; and if he considered paying it through the tax system to ensure 100 per cent take up. [25799/98]
The introduction of net income assessment for the purposes of determining entitlement to family income supplement came into effect on 1 October 1998.
The number of people in receipt of FIS at 30 September 1998 was 12,790. As of the week ending 13 November, there were 12,513 FIS claims in payment. The small reduction in numbers is a temporary phenomenon which reflects the fact that the entitlements of existing claimants are being re-assessed in line with the new arrangements as they apply to renew their FIS claims; and that some 1,800 new claims, received since 1 October 1998, are also now being dealt with. It is envisaged therefore that the numbers in payment will show a significant increase in the short to medium term.
Every effort is made by my Department to ensure that people are made aware of their entitlements to all social welfare schemes, including the FIS scheme. For instance, information on FIS is provided on child benefit payable order books and by the Revenue Commissioners when they issue tax free allowances. Both of these measures ensure that information in relation to the scheme is available in every eligible household in the country. In addition, the scheme is extensively advertised through local and national media outlets, including newspapers, radio, and the Aertel service, as well as through poster campaigns and targeted mailshots.
The payment of FIS through the tax system would not necessarily result in an increase in the take up of the scheme. In the first instance, a substantial number of FIS claimants have income which comes below the tax exemption limits appropriate to their family size. It must be borne in mind also that entitlement to FIS is not determined solely on the basis of the claimant's earnings. Account is also taken, for instance, of family size, hours worked, the likely duration of employment, as well as any earnings which the spouse or partner of the claimant, where relevant, may have. Not all of this information is collected through tax returns made to the Revenue Commissioners, and the tax system is not therefore capable of automatically identifying the households with an entitlement to FIS. Any payment through the tax system would therefore still have to operate on the basis of the individual applying for the payment.
