Derek Keating (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost per annum of one person without dependants who is in receipt of an invalidity pension including the cost of all entitlements and administration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17173/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Invalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. The scheme is administered from the Department's Longford office.

The current weekly personal rate of invalidity pension for customers aged 65 and under is €193.50. This rate increases to €230.30 per week when a customer reaches 65. A person may also qualify for a living alone allowance which is paid at a weekly rate of €7.70. A weekly allowance of €12.70 is payable to recipients living on a specified island. These rates are in line with budget changes which came into effect from 06 January 2011. A recipient of invalidity pension is entitled to avail of the free travel scheme which is administered from the Department's Sligo office.

A person in receipt of an invalidity pension may be eligible for further income supports such as the free fuel allowance or the household benefits package if he/she satisfies the qualifying criteria. Invalidity pension in itself does not confer entitlement to these additional supports.

The Department's scheme expenditure on invalidity pension in 2010 was €640 million approx. The free travel scheme was provided at an annual cost of €74 million in 2010. 8,774 new invalidity pension claims were registered in 2010. At 31/12/2010 there were 50,766 invalidity pension recipients. The direct costs of administering the invalidity pension scheme in 2010 were € 2.06 million approx. This equates to a cost of € 40 per annum per client and represents a 0.3% of total scheme expenditure. All expenditure figures quoted are provisional and do not include the cost of shared services, central support services, agency services (e.g. An Post/Bank Charges) etc. which are not reported or analysed at scheme level at present.