Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a family income supplement payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; if same will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1011/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The person concerned made a first time application for family income supplement (FIS) on 5 November 2012.

To qualify for FIS a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment as an employee which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week.

Following their application, the case of the person concerned was referred to a social welfare investigator. Upon receipt of the social welfare investigator’s report, a deciding officer decided that FIS was not payable on the ground that the employment concerned is self-employment. As FIS is only payable to employees, the application has been refused.

However, other arrangements exist whereby self-employed people on low earnings can receive additional payments under the social welfare system. Self-employed people whose income falls below the rate of jobseeker’s allowance (JA) appropriate to their family circumstances are entitled to claim assistance.

The rate of assistance payable depends on the person's means. In assessing means, account is taken of the net income which the applicant may reasonably expect to receive in the next year, and all expenses necessarily incurred by the applicant in carrying out the business are disregarded.

The person concerned should enquire into his entitlements, in this regard, at his local social welfare office.