Growing family · Ireland

Working Family Payment calculator

The Working Family Payment tops up the pay of working families on lower incomes, tax-free, and you have to apply for it: it is not paid automatically. See whether you could get it and roughly how much a week, using the official limits for 2026 and 2027.

Your family
Official rules: Citizens Information: Working Family Payment (income limits from January 2026, +€30 from January 2027, 60% rule, €20 minimum, what counts as income), read 3 November 2026. Your pay after tax, PRSI and USC is estimated with the official 2026/2027 rates; the Department uses your actual payslips, so this is an estimate. For an official figure, use the Department’s Benefit of Work Estimator. General information, not advice.

Estimated Working Family Payment

€150.88
a week, tax-free (about €7,846 a year)
Income limit for your family€795 a week
Your assessable income€543.54 a week
You may qualify. Apply online at MyWelfare.ie with your employer’s registration number from your payslip.

How to apply

Apply online at MyWelfare.ie with a verified MyGovID account, or by post with form WFP1 from your Intreo Centre. You will need your employer’s registration number, which is on your payslip. If your partner also works and you combine hours, the higher earner applies. The payment lasts 52 weeks and does not go down if your pay rises in that time.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the Working Family Payment?
It is 60% of the difference between your family’s weekly income (after tax, PRSI, USC and pension contributions) and the income limit for your number of children, with a minimum of €20 a week. It is tax-free and paid for 52 weeks.

What are the income limits for 2027?
From January 2027 every limit rises by €30 a week (Budget 2027): €795 for 1 child, €896 for 2, €997 for 3 and €1088 for 4.

Who can get it?
Employees with at least one child who work 38 hours or more a fortnight (a couple can combine their hours) and whose job is likely to last at least 3 months. You cannot get it if you are only self-employed.

Does Child Benefit count as income?
No. Child Benefit, child maintenance, Fuel Allowance and several other payments are not counted. Pension contributions, including MyFutureFund, are deducted from your pay.

Does it affect other payments?
Getting WFP means you automatically meet the means test for Fuel Allowance (from January 2026) and you may get the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. It is not counted in the medical card means test.

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