Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average number of new successful applications for the one parent family payment scheme involving a family in which the youngest child is over the age of 14 each year. [40162/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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In any given year, there are approximately one thousand successful applications for one parent family payment involving a family in which the youngest child is over the age of fourteen.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of applying the one parent family payment, OPFP, format earnings disregard next year to lone parents on jobseeker's allowance who would have been entitled to OPFP if it were not for the new rule excluding children over the age of 14. [40163/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Where, in the future, eligibility for one-parent family payment ceases due to the youngest child attaining the age of 14, a range of other income supports will be available, subject to satisfying the various conditions of the particular scheme. These schemes include family income supplement, jobseeker's allowance, farm assist, disability allowance and blind pension. It is not possible to accurately predict which of these schemes will prove to be the most beneficial option for any individual affected by the change in One-Parent Family Payment eligibility, as that will depend on their particular circumstances at that time, such as the number of hours work they secure, the level of earnings and so on. Consequently, it is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of applying a special earnings disregard in the jobseeker's allowance scheme for single parents with the youngest qualified child aged 14 or more.

It is important to note that the 6-year tapered phasing out period will remain as part of the provisions for existing recipients with the new age of 14 cut-off point coming in to effect for them in 2016, i.e. entitlement to the payment being maintained at 18 years for 2011 and 2012 and then reducing on a yearly basis from 17 years in 2013 to 16 years in 2014, 15 years in 2015 and then to 14 years in 2016.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will carry out a review of the reason so few lone parents are currently accessing family income supplement and how best to increase take up rates. [40164/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To qualify for payment of FIS a person must be engaged in full time insurable employment which is expected to last for at least three months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. There are currently some 27,228 people in receipt of a weekly FIS payment of which 5,606 are also in receipt of a One Parent Family Payment.

With regard to the level of take up, it is not possible to estimate from administrative sources the number of families who would be eligible but do not apply for their FIS entitlements. Accordingly the department completed a research project in 2008 to examine factors behind the level of take up for the scheme. This research project included a survey of over 3,000 families which appeared to satisfy conditions for receipt of FIS. From over 1,000 valid responses received the survey identified that only 23% might actually be eligible.

The research also found that overall awareness of Family Income Supplement among potential recipients is high with nearly three in four claiming to have heard of the scheme. Despite high levels of awareness, there was a lack of awareness and understanding of the eligibility requirements with only one in three claiming to be aware of the qualifying criteria for FIS. The report recommends that the Department needs to ensure that information about the scheme is advertised in a focused way with the eligibility and qualification criteria communicated as clearly as possible. The Department is addressing this by ensuring such information is highlighted as part of its ongoing information strategy.