Question
My wife and I are applying for the Family Income
Supplement (FIS) for our family of two children. We are unsure about what
income is included in the means test for this payment. For example, will my
wife’s student grant be included?
Answer
Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free
payment for families, including one-parent families, at work on low pay. The combined income of a couple (married, in a civil partnership or
cohabiting) is taken into account when your means are assessed for FIS. Income
from any source, including a student grant, is assessed in the means test. However,
the following payments are not counted as family income:
- Child Benefit or any income your children may have
- Guardian's payments
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance
- Domiciliary Care Allowance
- Foster Child Allowance
- Rent Allowance for tenants affected by the de-control of rents
- Income from a charitable organisation
- Income from providing accommodation to students studying Irish in
Gaeltacht areas
Capital is not assessed. This includes property you
own, bank accounts and cars. However, bank accounts may be checked for other income
sources and income derived from the use of a car that you own may be assessed
(for example as a taxi).
The main items counted as income are a
couple’s assessable earnings, any extra
earned in employment (such as pay for overtime, bonuses, allowances or
commission), income from self-employment, occupational pensions, social welfare
payments (apart from those listed above), income from carer’s payments or
rental income from the letting of property or land.
Further
information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.
Know Your
Rights
has been compiled by Boyle Citizens
Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the
public. Tel: 0761 07 6330
Address:
Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
Information
is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens
Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000
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