Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

594. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of working family payments that are currently in payment in the State; the number of working family payments received by the State over each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34343/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income support for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them.

The number of Working Family Payment claims currently in payment is 48,824.

The information requested regarding Working Family Payment claims for the period 2022-2025, where available, is detailed in the table below.

More data about claims processing for all of the Department's schemes for 2017 to 2023 is available in the Department’s Annual Statistics Reports which are available on the Department’s website (www.gov.ie/dsp).

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

595. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether his Department has any record of the number of people who may be entitled to the working family payment but have not made an application; whether the Department is following up on this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34344/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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 overall household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families.

Currently there are some 48,500 households with approximately 100,000 children in receipt of the payment. The average payment made to families is currently some €190 per week. Estimated expenditure on the scheme for 2025 is some €363m.

Budget 2025 saw the fourth successive increase to the weekly earnings thresholds under the payment for all family sizes, by providing a €60 per week increase from January 2025. In addition, as part of the Budget recipients of the payment also received a €400 lump sum payment in November 2024.

The Working Family Payment is not a means tested scheme. As an in-employment support eligibility is based instead, in addition to other requirements, on overall household income, the number of qualifying children in a household and the employment condition (the applicant must be in insurable employment of at least 38 hours a fortnight). For these reasons, it is difficult to estimate take-up.

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

The overall number of households benefiting from the scheme has remained stable and there is a regular flow on and off the scheme. This is in the context of the very strong performance of the labour market. It is clear 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 both in 2023 and 2024, which involved a mix of print, radio, and social media communication channels. The department continues to promote the scheme through, for example, its employment service provision, on-line and through direct engagement with the sector. We will continue to rollout further public communications campaigns to ensure to promote the Working Family Payment.