Ireland's Working Family Payment Scheme

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D. - has announced a nationwide information campaign aimed at raising awareness of the Government’s Working Family Payment scheme and to alert employees that they may qualify for this scheme while they are working.Minister Doherty today emphasised:

“The Working Family Payment is one of my Department’s schemes to provide support for employees with families who have low earnings.  Currently, over 53,000 working families with 120,000 children are benefitting from the scheme and receiving average weekly payments of €135.

“I want everybody who is entitled to such supports to be aware of what is available and this new information campaign seeks to promote greater awareness.  If anybody out there thinks that they and their family might qualify, I would urge them to contact their local Intreo Centre or simply check out the details of the scheme on our website www.welfare.ie .”

Image: The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D

The estimated expenditure on the Working Family Payment in 2018 was €410.5 million and the allocation for 2019 is €416.44 million. One of the measures that Minister Doherty secured in Budget 2019 was the introduction of a housing cost disregard for customers in receipt of maintenance payments. This brings Working Family Payment into line with other social assistance schemes. 

Arising from this Budget measure, approximately €9.1 million extra will be paid out annually, with affected customers benefiting by an average increase of €27.40 per week in their payment. Recent analysis undertaken by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection showed that existing in-work supports, in particular, the Working Family Payment and the Back to Work Family Dividend, are very effective, and work well in assisting individuals to make the transition from unemployment into employment.

The information campaign will run from today until the end of July on national and local media including print, radio, digital and Out of House including on the Luas and Dart and in train stations.  The cost of the campaign is €120,000 (inc. VAT).

ABC Note: Working Family Payment (WFP) (formerly known as Family Income Supplement (FIS)) is a weekly tax-free payment available to employees with children. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. You must have at least one child who normally lives with you or is financially supported by you.

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