Bríd Smith
Ceist:1565. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount it would cost to increase the qualified child payments for children over 12 years of age to €47. [36403/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 26 July 2017
Ceisteanna (1565)
Freagraí scríofa
Increases for a Qualified Child (IQCs) are paid as child-related supplements to most weekly social welfare payments in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. The current full rate of payment is €29.80 per week per dependent child. The estimated expenditure on qualified child increase in 2018 is €569.1million.
IQC payments do not of themselves constitute a specific social welfare scheme and entitlement to the appropriate primary adult payment must be established in the first instance.
Where children continue in full-time education, payment of the IQC can continue up to 22 years of age or up to the end of the academic year in which the child reaches 22 in the case of long-term payments as well as short-term payments that have been in payment for at least 156 days.
Given the complexity involved and in the time available it is currently not feasible to accurately predict the full year cost of introducing a higher rate of the qualified child increase for all social welfare payments to families with dependent children over the age of 12.