Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment which provides an income top-up for employees, with children, on low earnings. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. The average payment made to families is currently some €146 per week. Estimated expenditure on the scheme for 2024 is €375.97 million.

It is difficult to accurately estimate the take-up of the scheme. It is not simply a matter of making a comparison with Revenue data as there are eligibility requirements, other than income levels, that need to be satisfied in order to qualify for the scheme. Currently there are some 46,000 families with approximately 99,000 children in receipt of the payment. Over half of all recipients of the payment are single adult households.

Budget 2024 saw the third successive increase to the weekly earnings thresholds under the payment for all family sizes, by providing a €54 per week increase from January 2024. In addition, as part of Budget 2024, recipients of the payment also received a €400 cost of living payment in November 2023.

There has been an increase in the number of new applications in recent years, driven by both the Department’s promotional activities and recent budget announcements which have proved to be very effective in promoting the scheme.

The overall numbers of households benefiting from the scheme has remained stable, as there is a regular flow on and off the scheme. This is in the context of the very strong performance of the labour market, including an increase in the employment rate for lone parents. It is clear, however, that the increases introduced in recent budgets have helped ensure employees on higher rates of pay continue to be able to avail of the scheme.

I am very conscious of the importance of ensuring that people are aware of and apply for payments for which they are eligible. My Department undertook a public information campaign to promote this scheme in 2023 and this is to be built on in 2024, with a new information campaign to commence later this quarter. The objective of this campaign is to increase awareness of the payment and to highlight that the payment can be applied for online at mywelfare.ie. A mix of print, radio, and social media communication channels are to be used to deliver the campaign.