Social solidarity minister Michael Farrugia today announced that the government will be extending the in-work benefit scheme to include families with one working parent.

In order to be eligible for the in-work benefit, families with one working parent must earn between €6,600 and €12,700, and have dependent children under 23 years of age, said Minister Farrugia during a press conference this morning.

The benefit will reach a maximum of €150 per child, for the benefit of 3,700 families and 5,000 children in the year to come.

The benefit was a measure included in the 2015 budget, where a total of 1,269 couples received the benefit by the end of September. The 2015 benefit system was eligible for families with two working parents who receive a low wage, as well as single parents.

In both instances, children must be under 23 years of age.

Between January and March, there were a total of 589 single parents who received €138,129, which rose to 733 single parents between April and June, receiving a total of €210,602.

The number of families with both parents employed and also benefitted from the scheme rose from 350 between January and March to 510 between April and June, receiving from €105,548 to €202,140 respectively.