Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 November 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection

Report of the Commission on Pensions: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Tim Duggan:

No. I do not accept that we underestimate. We estimate. We try not to overstate those estimates. That is what I mean by conservative. I do not mean we underestimate because as the Chairman said, that would be irresponsible so we do not do that. We certainly do not deliberately underestimate. I am not saying the figure includes such things as fuel allowance. I only included those allowances that are increases on the State pension payment. Somebody who is living alone gets an increase on their payment. We call it the living alone allowance but it is, in effect, an increase on their payment. It is only those I include. I do not include fuel allowance, the housing benefits package, HBP, or payments of that nature. It is a combination of things, including the fact that more people are drawing the State pension than we may have thought because of the longevity issue.

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