Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2026
152. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the age limit for families with adult children in full-time education receiving the Working Family Payment could be extended to 23 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28990/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment is a tax-free in-work support for low paid employees, with child dependents. There are over 54,000 families, with some 109,000 children, currently in receipt of the payment. The average payment under the scheme, as at the end of March, is €200 per week.
To be eligible for the payment the applicant must work a minimum of 38 hours a fortnight. To meet this requirement hours worked can be combined with, for example, those worked by the applicant and their spouse or partner. They must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them.
For the purposes of Working Family Payment, a qualified child is defined as being under the age of 18 years or, if in full-time education, over the age of 18 but under 22. A qualified child that turns 22 during an academic year continues to be a qualified child under the scheme until the end of the academic year. This policy is in line with the age limits for the Child Support Payment, which is an amount paid in addition to a primary social welfare payment to support with the costs of raising children.
Any changes to the age limits on the Working Family Payment would need to be considered in a budgetary and policy coherence context.
