Family Income Supplement

Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available in the Republic of Ireland for families, including one-parent families at work but receiving low pay.

Family Income Supplement is means tested and as a result the amount of the award will depend on a person’s income and the number of children they have responsibility for. In order to be eligible a person must be in qualifying remunerative work and:
• Working 19 or more hours per week (or 38 or more hours per fortnight)
• Where the employment is likely to last at least 3 months
• Looking after one or more children (Your child must be under 18 years of age or between 18 and 22 years of age and in full-time education.) and
• Earning less than a set amount which varies according to family size.

To qualify for FIS, your net average weekly family income must be below a certain amount for your family size. The FIS you receive is 60% of the difference between your net family income and the income limit which applies to your family. The table below outlines the FIS limits in 2009.

FIS income limits in 2009: 

It's important to be aware, that no matter how little you may qualify for, you will still get a minimum of €20 each week. Generally the payment continues for one year and is not affected by, for example, an increase in earnings or other income in the family.

Family Income Supplement is paid on the basis of insurable employment in the Republic of Ireland, therefore a frontier worker living in Northern Ireland and working in the South may qualify depending on their income level.

 © Northern Ireland Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NIACAB) 2009

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