Written answers

Thursday, 15 February 2007

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

4:00 pm

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 189 of 31 January 2007, the weekly cost of all family income supplement payments; the average weekly payment; the expenditure on FIS in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5875/07]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost to his Department in 2007 of the family income supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5876/07]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 130 together.

The total cost of family income supplement payments is approximately €2.75 million per week at present. The average weekly payment is €125. Total expenditure in 2006 was €107 million.

The Family Income Supplement is designed to provide cash support for employees on low earnings with families. This preserves the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments.

There are currently 22,009 people in receipt of a weekly FIS payment. My Department has received 13,591 new claims in 2006 compared with 7,781 in 2005.

The financial provision for FIS in 2007, which will take account of the most up-to-date information on recipient numbers as well as the improvements announced in the Budget, will be published in the Revised Estimates Volume next week.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of family income supplement recipients who received the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5877/07]

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of families eligible for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance who did not apply for and receive the payment in 2006; the percentage take-up rate of the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5878/07]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year. Some 84,800 families with approximately 172,000 children benefited from the scheme in 2006 at a cost of €25.4m. This is an increase on the 2005 figures when some 76,166 families with 157,254 children benefited at a cost of €16.7m. Some 90% of all applications received in 2006 were successful. Some 19,323 applications were refused in 2006.

Statistics are not available on the numbers of people who could qualify for, but do not apply for, back to school clothing and footwear allowance. There were some 20,000 people in receipt of FIS last year when the back to school clothing and footwear scheme was in operation. The Department's records show that almost 4,000 of these applied for and were awarded back to school clothing and footwear allowance. As FIS is payable in conjunction with one-parent family payment (OFP) and other payments, FIS recipients will also have received back to school clothing and footwear allowance as OPF recipients.

Photo of David StantonDavid Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of child dependant allowances currently being paid by his Department; the number of families currently in receipt of CDA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5879/07]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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At the end of December 2006, there were child dependant increases payable at the full rate in respect of 258,812 children and at half rate in respect of 82,554 children. The current estimated number of families in receipt of child dependant increases is 213,406.

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