Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement; and the average payment. [41102/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 7,057 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement and the average weekly supplement is €92.60.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of claimants in receipt of jobseekers benefit on 14 October 2008; the number of these that were in receipt of the benefit for less than three months; the number of these that were in receipt of the payment for less than six months; her estimate of the number of these claimants who will be affected by the Budget 2009 changes in relation to the reduction in the duration of jobseekers benefit; and when she will notify each of these claimants about the proposed changes. [41106/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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On the 17th October, the nearest date to the Budget change for which figures are available, 115,441 people had a claim for jobseekers benefit. 39,606 were in receipt of benefit for less than 3 months. Of this number 20,090 have less than 260 contributions recorded up to the end of the 2007 tax year, the latest year for which the department has contribution details. 75,835 were in receipt of benefit for less than 6 months and of this number 47,996 appear to have less than 260 contributions.

I should point out to the Deputy that some of these people will have stopped claiming jobseekers benefit before their entitlement ceases and others will have commenced claiming. Some of these will also be affected by the changes announced in Budget 2009 in relation to the length of time for which jobseeker's benefit will be paid.

It is envisaged that in 2009 a weekly average of 2,400 people will be affected by the reduction in duration from 312 days to 234 days and 3,860 people in a full year. A weekly average of 6,750 people will be affected by the reduction in duration from 390 days to 312 days and 9,200 people in a full year.

All jobseeker's benefit claimants are notified 3 months in advance of exhausting their benefit. This is to allow sufficient time to undertake a means test where a person wishes to apply for jobseekers allowance. This arrangement will apply to those claimants affected by the changes announced in the budget. The earliest date on which the new conditions as to duration can have an effect is mid April 2009. Consequently, the department will begin contacting persons affected in January.

Some claimants who have less than 260 PRSI contributions recorded may have additional contributions paid in 2008 which would not yet be recorded in the department. These contributions could bring their total to 260 or more and this would extend their entitlement from 234 days (9 months) to 312 days (12 months). Similarly, others could have insurance in another EU member state which could also bring their total contributions to 260 or more.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of welfare claimants by claim type who have a reduced rate payment arising from having a reckonable level of income that is below that prescribed in the social welfare legislation. [41107/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 4,194 recipients of a graduated rate of jobseeker's benefit and 4,553 recipients of a graduated rate of illness benefit. There are no cases of claimants on a graduated rate of health and safety benefit.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people in receipt of rent supplement; the cost to the State of the scheme in 2008; and the projected cost in 2009. [41109/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are currently 70,072 people in receipt of rent supplement. The cost of the rent supplement scheme for 2008 is expected to be €436m. The estimate for 2009 is €461.6m.