Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1232. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to raise public awareness of eligibility for family income supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34689/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are just over 57,000 families with more than 126,000 children in receipt of FIS. The estimated spend on FIS this year is approximately €422 million.

There has been a steady growth both in the number of families supported by FIS over recent years and associated expenditure, with numbers in receipt of FIS rising from around 32,000 families with more than 73,000 children in 2012 to just over 57,000 families and over 126,000 children by the end of June 2017.

A number of factors have led to the increase in take-up including an increased awareness campaign by the Department of Social Protection, a substantial increase in the numbers in employment, demographic factors and increases in the FIS thresholds in 2016.

The Department’s information strategy has promoted the benefits of FIS and increased overall awareness of the scheme. Some of the increase in FIS numbers is also due to transfers from the One-Parent Family Payment arising from the reduction of the age threshold of the youngest child to 7 years, which occurred over the past four years.

Substantial improvements in customer service and processing times for FIS customers have also significantly contributed to the increased numbers of FIS recipients.

The Department avails of every opportunity in its engagement with employers and jobseekers to build awareness of the availability of FIS and how this payment may benefit potential employees with children, a number of recent examples are outlined below.

- The Department’s website www.welfare.ie has full information on the FIS scheme and provides typical family scenarios to aid understanding and provide comparisons. This information is also available in all the Department local offices, CICs and information offices.

- In addition a series of road-shows were held around the country designed to inform employers about the wide range of employment support services provided by the Department, including FIS.

- Case Officers in each locality will specifically use FIS as an incentive to move people from the long-term Live Register to employment.

- The Department’s Benefit of Work ready reckoner gives an indication of the difference between a person’s potential in-work payment, including FIS, and current out-of-work payments.

- The Department also launched a poster advertisement campaign in its Intreo centres and local offices nationwide during 2015.

- The Department has also been in touch with Trade Unions representing in excess of 260,000 employees (in both the Public and Private Sector) and provided them with an article on FIS for inclusion in their publications for members. This article explains in detail the qualification conditions for the scheme and gives relevant supporting examples of families that could qualify.

- FIS was also publicised as part of jobs week which ran from the 28^thSeptember 2015 to 2^ndOctober 2015.

The increasing numbers of families in receipt of FIS is testament to the effectiveness of the Department’s information strategy for the scheme and the significant improvements in customer service and processing times for FIS customers.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.