Cuts to Family Income Supplement for those on Carers Allowance / Carers benefit

merchant07

In Budget 2012 a cut that wasnt annouced was that for low income working families in receipt of Family Income Supplement who are also in receipt of Carers allowance /carers benefit will now have Carers allowance/benefit included as a source of income when applying/renewing for Family Income Supplement (FIS) .This will mean for many families already struggling they will face their FIS being cut or significantly reduced.Special Needs Parents Association are trying to organise a campaign against this see http://www.facebook.com/events/338739332807406/ for more details. This change in assessment of means will take effect from Jan 6th 2012 for new apllicants for FIS and on renewal for existing recepients (renewal is on an annual basis) .Please do spread the word as many families arent aware of it as this cut wasnt annouced but hidden in the fine print of the budget.It is a major financial blow for family and will push many families into the poverty trap.Please email you local tds to object to these cuts and if affected please contact Special Needs Parents Association by emailing how the cuts will affect your family at patricia@specialneedsparents.ie

lfc1984

I have tonight emailed Enda Kenny, Joan Burton, Brendan Howlin with an email relating to the financial impact this will have on my family. We will lose €116 per week totalling €6,032 per year. How can the Government expect us to survive these savage cuts? It is simply an all out assault on Carers in this country. The most unfair thing about it is that Labour has always vowed to protect the vulnerable in society, well that mantra has well and truly been destroyed with Ms. Joan Burton now in charge of Social Welfare. She has effectively shown her contempt for Carers with this underhand well hidden change in FIS means testing.

Keep highlighting this with your local TD's. I have also emailed Irish Independent, Irish Times and the Irish Examiner requesting that they highlight this in the media as to date, this matter has not been highlighted extensively at all. I know that there was a recnt article in teh Irish Examiner but more newspapers need to be alerted to this hideous Government decision.

merchant07

If you are affected by the cuts (we are affected too) please send an email to patricia@specialneedsparents.ie as Special Needs Parents Association are trying to get as many letters as possible so they can arrange a meeting with Government SPNA are on facebook too