Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 section 227

Interpretation

Section 227 defines key terms used throughout the Working Family Payment provisions, including who counts as a family, what constitutes weekly family income, and the meaning of civil partner, spouse and child.

• A "family" for Working Family Payment purposes consists of a person in full-time paid employment, together with their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant (if living with or mainly maintained by them), and one or more qualifying children normally resident with them.
• The terms "civil partner" and "spouse" are broadly defined to include former civil partners and former spouses whose dissolution or divorce is recognised as valid in the State.
• "Weekly family income" is the gross weekly income of the family, reduced by specified deductions including income tax (Schedule E), PRSI contributions, universal social charge, automatic enrolment retirement savings contributions, and certain other allowable contributions and payments.
• Income earned by a child of the family is excluded from the calculation of weekly family income.