Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

338. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the minimum weekly working family payment from €20 to €30, to €40, and to €50; the estimated number of households that would benefit from each increase, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23379/26]

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

The Working Family Payment is a tax-free income support designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid employees with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment.

There are some 52,000 households in receipt of the Working Family Payment. The average payment, as of February 2026, was €203 per week. Legislation provides for a minimum weekly payment of €20, payable to those who would otherwise qualify for a lower rate.

Based on the operational information available there are some 672 households in receipt of a Working Family Payment of between €20 and €25 per week, and an additional 1796 households in receipt of a Working Family Payment of between €25 and €50 per week.

If it is assumed that these households are equally distributed across their rate bands, the approximate cost and estimated number of households benefitting from an increase in the minimum payment to €30, €40 and €50 is shown in the table below.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

339. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated number of additional households that would become eligible for the working family payment if the gross weekly income thresholds were increased by 10%, by 20%, and by 30%; the estimated cost of doing so, by family size, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23380/26]

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

The full year cost of increasing the Working Family Payment income thresholds is difficult to estimate with accuracy given the dynamics of the labour market and wage fluctuations. This also means it is challenging to forecast with accuracy the number of new claimants who would avail of the payment resulting from increases of 10%, 20% or 30% to the thresholds as proposed.

It is also difficult to provide a costing for percentage increases to each Working Family Payment threshold, as this would require costing a different threshold increase for each household size. However, assuming the same threshold increase for all family sizes, in line with increases in recent budgets;

• A 10% increase to the €765 threshold would equate to a €76.50 increase to the thresholds, at an estimated cost of €123m per year.
• A 20% increase to the €765 threshold would equate to a €153 increase to the thresholds, at an estimated cost of €246m per year.
• A 30% increase to the €765 threshold would equate to a €229.50 increase to the thresholds, at an estimated cost of €369m per year.