Ms Catherine Kellaghan:

I meant to state earlier that the family income support scheme underwent a major process of improvement in 2012, the primary purpose of which was to speed up our response to people and ensure their applications were processed quickly. It also involved changes in the way we operate and we have adopted a much more client-centred approach. While applicants must still fulfil the qualifying condition that they work at least 38 hours per fortnight, the Department takes a much more flexible approach to this requirement. We take the minimum amount of time to establish whether a person is working the required hours. For example, we would not ask for six weeks' payslips before doing so. Having said that, applicants must reach this bar because it is set in legislation and the law does not provide for discretion to pay family income supplement to people who are not employed 38 hours per fortnight.