# Family on 28K earn 907 euro per week



## goingforgold (2 Oct 2011)

Did anyone see the artice in today's Sunday Times. It was supposed to highlight how much families on welfare are better off than those families who have one person earning. 

However I was shocked to see that a family of two adults and four children earning 28K (540 euro per week gross, 460 net?) per annum with one spouse working come out with 907 euro per week. How is this possible? Even allowing for the fact that maybe one unemployed spouse may get JSA of 188 euro per week, it still doesn't add up. Throw in children's allowance (144 per week for four children). Still doesn't add up. Not sure they were including children's allowance anyway.

Anyone care to enlighten me??

(before I pack in the job, and tell the wife to do the same  )


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## ClubMan (3 Oct 2011)

If a newspaper is going to cite such examples then the least they could do is outline how the bottom line figures were arrived at. Otherwise one might remain a bit skeptical. 

There was another extreme example case cited here, in the media and by some politician recently (might be in _LOS_?) but again no specific details were provided. Even _Joan Burton _admitted that _SW _may not have full figures for individual/family claims in all cases.


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## bren1916 (3 Oct 2011)

Perhaps they alluded to the fact that someone may have to earn 907 gross in order to come out with the net figure that the family receives?

(might pack up the job meself )..


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## Brendan Burgess (3 Oct 2011)

Here is the article 



> Documents to be released this  week will show there is no incentive for unemployed parents to take a job paying  €28,000 a year, thanks to the high level of welfare benefits.
> 
> 
> The Department of Social Protection has found that a family on this wage earn  just €89 a week more than if they were on social-welfare benefits.
> ...


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## ClubMan (3 Oct 2011)

Strange that _SW _don't publish the details of their research on their own website?

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/Pages/default.aspx


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## Guest105 (3 Oct 2011)

ClubMan said:


> Strange that _SW _don't publish the details of their research on their own website?
> 
> http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Press/PressReleases/Pages/default.aspx


 
and why would they do such a thing, sure they would be in undated.


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## goingforgold (3 Oct 2011)

It's easy understand where the unemployed family get their income (well easier anyway). But how do a family with one person earning 28K get 907 euro per week? They have no childcare costs either. A couple with 4 children would need to be earning at least 100K gross to be better off when you factor childcare costs into the equation. Childcare for 4 children = 500 euro per week. 100k income (2 x 50K) = 1400 eur per week. 1400-500 =900 euro per week.

Why do we bother?

From welfares website it staes that a family with 4 children is entitled to 60% of the difference in their earnings and 824 euro per week through the Family Income Supplement (FIS) scheme. So in the case of a 28K salary that would be 60% of the difference between 500 euro and 824 =195 euro. Total income therefore 695 euro net. 

So not sure where the other 212 euro comes from? Maybe unemployed spouse is entitled to JSA? 

Also other benefits like back to school allowance and medical card may be availed of.


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