department of social and family affairs annual report 2006 - Welfare.ie

Goal 3: children
To ensure the well-being of all children through income support that assists with
child-rearing costs in general, including those which arise in circumstances of
particular need or disadvantage
goal 3: children
Child Benefit (CB) is made each month to parents
or guardians in respect of each qualified child.
By December 2006 there were 562,860 recipients
of Child Benefit in respect of 1.1 million children.
In addition, children benefited from various
other payments – see Objective 2 (below). Family
Income Supplement (FIS), which is paid weekly
to families, including lone-parent families on
low pay, was paid to 21,800 families in respect of
almost 44,000 children.
> Objective 1
Achieve a high level of customer satisfaction by
delivering income support for families and children
to a high standard.
> Customer service
Increase in volume of CB claims from EU workers,
particularly for non- resident children.
Child Benefit claims from workers from other
EU countries under the provisions of other EU
regulations or social security for migrant workers
have increased markedly since early 2006.
Claims from such workers in Ireland with nonresident
children have risen from an average of
30 claims per week in 2005 to an average of 300
per week for 2006. Claims in respect of resident
children of such workers have risen from 150 per
week to 300 per week over the same period in
2006 compared to 2005.
This increase in volume, combined with the
necessary checks with authorities in other
EU countries, resulted in significant delays in
processing these claims.
> OBJECTIVE 2
Ensure the range of income support schemes for
families and children provides adequate help in
circumstances of particular need or disadvantage.
Budget 2006 made provision for improvements in
the various payments in respect of children and
families. These improvements were provided for in
the Social Welfare Act 2005 and came into effect
from January 2006 onwards. In addition, the
following increases were announced in the 2007
Budget - for implementation dates see Appendix
2.
> Child Benefit (CB)
The lower and higher CB rates were increased by
€10 per month to new monthly rates of €160 and
€195 per month respectively.
> Qualified Child Increase (QCI)
The rate of QCI was increased by €5.20, €2.70
and €0.40 from €16.80, €19.30 and €21.60,
respectively, to a new single rate of €22 per week.
> Family Income Supplement (FIS)
All FIS earnings thresholds were increased by
amounts ranging from €15 to €185 per week,
depending on family size.
> Back to school clothing and
footwear allowance (BTSCFA)
Increases to the rate of payment of BTSCFA of
€60 per child for the lower rate and €95 per child
for the higher rate were introduced bringing the
new rates to €180 for children aged 2 to 11 years
old and €285 for children aged 12 to 22.
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