Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 108: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will continue to pay child benefit for children who are 18 years but who have not yet sat their leaving certificate while the child continues to be a full time student at second level. [16935/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Child benefit is a universal payment that assists parents in the cost associated with raising children and it contributes towards alleviating child poverty. It is paid monthly in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and in respect of children over 16 years of age up to their 18th birthday who are in full time education or have a disability. There are no plans for extending the upper age limit for child benefit at the present time.

For families on low incomes there are a number of provisions to social welfare schemes which support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:

Qualified Child Increases to primary social welfare payments in receipt of either:

- A long-term social welfare payment, or

- A short-term social welfare payment for six months or more (short-term schemes include such payments as Jobseeker's Benefit and Assistance, Illness Benefit and Supplementary Welfare Allowance).

The family income supplement (FIS) scheme to low paid employees with families. This supplement is paid where a family's weekly income is below a specified amount for the family size, and is calculated at 60% of the difference between the net family income (i.e. gross pay less tax, PRSI, USC, superannuation) and the relevant income limit.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance, which provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons (details supplied) in County Monaghan were refused rent supplement. [16949/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Health Service Executive (HSE) advised that the persons concerned inquired as to their possible entitlement for rent supplement in respect of their new address. The couple were informed that, based on their household income, they would qualify for a rent supplement of €0.80 (80 cent) per week.

The HSE further advised that the persons concerned did not follow up this inquiry with a formal application for payment.