Working Family Payment Estimator Ireland 2026
Estimate your weekly Working Family Payment (WFP) entitlement in Ireland for 2026. WFP tops up wages for low-income working families with children — it is tax-free and paid at 60% of the gap between your net income and the threshold for your family size. Free and private.
What Is Working Family Payment and Who Qualifies?
Working Family Payment (WFP), formerly known as Family Income Supplement (FIS), is a weekly tax-free payment administered by the Department of Social Protection. It is designed to support working families on low incomes who have at least one qualified child under 18 (or under 22 if in full-time education). To qualify, you must work at least 38 hours per fortnight (approximately 19 hours per week) as an employee or, since 2020, as a self-employed person. Your combined family net income must fall below the income threshold for your family size.
2026 WFP Income Thresholds by Family Size
The 2026 weekly net income thresholds for WFP are as follows: 1 child — €673; 2 children — €774; 3 children — €875; 4 children — €966; 5 children — €1,052; 6 children — €1,168; 7 children — €1,204; 8 or more children — €1,257. These are net income thresholds — after income tax, PRSI, and USC. If your family's combined net weekly income is below the threshold for your family size, you may qualify for WFP at 60% of the difference.
How the WFP Payment Is Calculated
The weekly WFP amount is 60% of the difference between the income threshold for your family size and your actual net weekly family income. For example, a family with 2 children and a net weekly income of €674 has a gap of €100 below the threshold of €774 — the WFP payment would be €60 per week (60% of €100). The payment cannot exceed the gap and is always rounded to the nearest €1. The minimum WFP payment is €20 per week. WFP is awarded for 52 weeks and the rate is locked in for the full year, meaning an income increase during the year does not reduce your WFP until your next renewal.
WFP and Other Benefits
WFP is completely tax-free and does not reduce your entitlement to Child Benefit, Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, or Fuel Allowance. If you are receiving WFP and your household also qualifies for the Back to Work Family Dividend (after leaving social welfare), you can receive both payments simultaneously for up to 2 years. Over 44,000 families in Ireland receive WFP — it is one of the most commonly unclaimed welfare entitlements in Ireland, particularly among families where one or both parents recently moved from unemployment to low-paid employment.