Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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87. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider changing the criteria for calculating SUSI grant eligibility to include whether a parent is in receipt of the working family payment. [22251/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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There are two important points to make about the treatment of the Family Income Supplement, also known as the Working Family Payment, under the SUSI scheme.

First, the supplement is treated as an income disregard and is therefore not included in the calculation of reckonable income.

Second, and unlike other social protection payments which are paid to individuals, the Working Family Payment is a payment deemed to be paid to a family. In recognition of this, the SUSI scheme contains provisions which allow this payment to be recognised for the purposes of meeting the eligibility criteria for the special rate of grant, which is the highest maintenance grant support available. Over 5,000 students qualified for the special rate in the last academic year by virtue of their family having a family income supplement.

This treatment, along with other provisions of the scheme, ensures that those students most in need receive supports commensurate with their needs.

I also think it is important for students to be aware of the other supports available to them, particularly the Student Assistance Fund which assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.