Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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563. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which the number of persons in receipt of family income supplement has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53846/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Working Family Payment (WFP) formerly Family Income Supplement is a weekly tax-free payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children. WFP 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 currently over 54,000 families in receipt of WFP.

To qualify for WFP a person must be in full time remunerative employment as an employee for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. It is also possible to combine hours worked with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant to meet this condition. The average family income must not exceed a prescribed amount which varies according to the number of qualified children.

The numbers of WFP recipients for years 2013 to 2018 (to date) are as follows:

It should be noted that the above figures refer to the number of families in receipt of WFP at week 52 of the relevant year. The figures may fluctuate from week to week.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.