Dr. Claire Keane:

We have done analysis. For example, if we look at the last budget, there was a lot of money for families with children. There were additional child benefit payments, additions to social welfare and additional social welfare payments. However, we did not see that feed into child poverty rates. It was anticipated that there would be no decline. That suggests the money is being spent in an untargeted way. Things like energy credits and the additional child benefit are not targeted. They are going to high-income households as well. We are saying that money could be saved by not paying them universally, but targeting them. Work has been done, for example, looking at having an additional second tier of child benefit that would be means-tested, while retaining the current child benefit. Those kinds of targeted measures can help lower income households. The Government would be spending less because it would not be given to everyone and it would be spent on the people who really matter, those at the lower end of the income distribution who are experiencing poverty. In general, the energy credit is a good example. It was given to everyone regardless and while I was delighted to see it come off my bill, thankfully, I did not need it and it is not so easy to give these things back. Targeting those measures helps to save money and also helps to ensure it goes into the pockets of the people who really need it.