Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 461: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person on disability allowance can qualify for a living alone allowance irrespective of their age, whereas a person on a widow's pension must wait until they turn 66 before they can claim the living alone allowance; his plans to change this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35216/06]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 476: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on increasing the payment rate for the living alone allowance as the current rate is very low in view of the added costs for a person living alone; when this allowance was last increased; the annual cost of this allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35438/06]

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 477: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason the living alone allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not increased from €7.70 for a number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35569/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 461, 476 and 477 together.

The living alone increase is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.

It is also available to people who are under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The increase is intended as a contribution towards the additional costs people face when they live alone.

The additional payment is primarily designed to target the increased risk of poverty that older people face if living alone though, as already indicated, it is also payable to those receiving long-term invalidity type payments in recognition of the particular difficulties faced by that group. Extending the payment to other social welfare recipients who are under 66 years of age, such as those in receipt of widow's and widower's pension, would have significant cost implications.

The living alone increase has not been raised since 1996 because the policy in relation to support for pensioners has been, for many years, to give priority to increasing the personal rates of pension rather than focusing on payments such as the living alone increase. This approach ensures that resources are used to improve the position of all pensioners.

Any increases in the payment would have to be considered in a budgetary context.