Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014
363. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the family income support section only carries out full year reviews on applicants when requested in by the applicant in writing to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25907/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFamily Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment payable to employees with children.
In order to qualify a person must have a least one qualified child who normally lives with them or is part of a family supported by them. They must also have an average net weekly family income below a certain amount for the individual family size. FIS is then calculated at 60% of the difference between the average net weekly family income and the income limit for the family size concerned.
Once the level of FIS payment is determined, it continues to be payable at that rate for a period of 52 weeks, provided that the person remains in full-time employment. Claimants who apply for a further 52 weeks have their income re-assessed and their FIS entitlement re-calculated accordingly.
There has been a steady growth both in the number of families supported by FIS over recent years and associated expenditure as set out in the following table.
Expenditure on the FIS scheme is estimated to be €281.7 million in 2014, up €20 million on 2013.
|
Year |
Number in payment (approx.) |
Expenditure (€ Millions) |
|
2011 |
28,875 |
204.5 |
|
2012 |
32,310 |
223.6 |
|
2013 |
44,160 |
261.5 (provisional) |
|
2014 |
44,405 (@ 30/4/14) |
281.7 (Revised Estimate) |
The Department avails of every opportunity in its engagement with employers and jobseekers to build awareness of the availability of FIS and how this payment may benefit potential employees with children. The increasing numbers of families in receipt of FIS is testament to the effectiveness of the Department's information strategy for the scheme and the significant improvements in customer service and processing times for FIS customers.
With the increased customer base on FIS and the continued increase in FIS new claims, the Department, in order to maintain good customer service and ensure the efficient use of its resources, proposes to continue payment of FIS for a further 52 weeks at the existing rate in the cases of some renewals where the Department's data indicates that entitlement has not varied from the previous year. As it is possible that there could be other changes in circumstances of which the Department may not be aware, claimants are being asked to contact the Department if they feel that their circumstances have changed. In these cases, the Department will carry out a full review of circumstances and issue a revised decision where warranted.
