Written answers
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Department of Social and Family Affairs
Social Welfare Benefits
2:30 pm
Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the living alone allowance; the cost of same in each of the past ten years; if he will provide a breakdown in numbers of recipients by contributory pensioner, non-contributory pensioner, widowed pensioner, incapacity recipient or disability allowance recipient, invalidity pensioner and blind pension and by age, the total number 66 years or older and 65 years or younger; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21435/10]
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I have attached a tabular statement showing the expenditure on living alone allowance by each scheme and a second tabular statement showing the number of recipients of living alone allowance by the primary scheme of the recipient. A breakdown of Widow/er's Contributory Pension by age is not available while Disability Allowance is not payable after age 65.
Expenditure for Living Alone Allowance Relating to the following Schemes 2000 to 2009.
| Year | State PensionContributory(1)€ | State PensionNon-Contributory€ | Widow/er'sContributoryPension€ | Widow/er'sNon-ContributoryPension (2)€ | DisabilityAllowance(4)€ | Invalidity Pension (3)€ | Blind Pension€ |
| 2000 | 9,335,326 | 9,933,123 | 15,347,332 | 3,069,867 | 224,224 | 58,859 | |
| 2001 | 9,964,755 | 9,971,562 | 15,609,994 | 3,011,008 | 1,155,154 | 2,052,050 | 158,558 |
| 2002 | 10,415,605 | 9,952,342 | 15,888,673 | 2,961,358 | 3,105,102 | 2,710,308 | 156,957 |
| 2003 | 10,766,756 | 10,044,434 | 16,271,455 | 2,870,067 | 4,117,313 | 3,201,198 | 157,357 |
| 2004 | 11,009,398 | 9,997,187 | 16,608,592 | 2,771,168 | 5,159,554 | 3,606,403 | 164,164 |
| 2005 | 10,911,701 | 10,072,062 | 17,645,628 | 2,726,724 | 5,933,528 | 4,035,632 | 164,564 |
| 2006 | 12,502,890 | 13,197,584 | 18,115,297 | 5,205 | 6,783,977 | 3,364,561 | 107,708 |
| 2007 | 20,904,884 | 13,174,762 | 18,559,341 | 6,807 | 7,539,932 | 3,601,598 | 107,708 |
| 2008 | 21,577,956 | 13,297,684 | 19,171,552 | 7,207 | 8,435,627 | 3,721,718 | 106,506 |
| 2009 | 21,983,161 | 13,226,013 | 18,835,617 | 4,805 | 8,942,534 | 3,715,312 | 108,909 |
(1) Retirement Pension is not included with State Pension Contributory prior to 2007.
(2) In September 2006 Persons in receipt of Widow/er's Non-Contributory Pension and Blind Pension aged over 65 switched to State Pension Non-Contributory.
(3) Living Alone Allowance was introduced for Invalidity Pensioners under 66 on 5th April 2001. Recipients of Invalidity Pension aged over 65 switched to State Pension Contributory from September 2006.
(4) Living Alone Allowance was introduced for persons on Disability Allowance in April 2001.
Recipients of Living Alone Allowance Relating to the following Schemes 2000 to 2009.
| Year | State PensionContributory(1) | State PensionNon-Contributory | Widow/er's Contributory Pension | Widow/er'sNon-ContributoryPension (2) | DisabilityAllowance(4) | InvalidityPension (3) | BlindPension |
| 2000 | 23,315 | 24,808 | 38,330 | 7,667 | 560 | 147 | |
| 2001 | 24,887 | 24,904 | 38,986 | 7,520 | 2,885 | 5,125 | 396 |
| 2002 | 26,013 | 24,856 | 39,682 | 7,396 | 7,755 | 6,769 | 392 |
| 2003 | 26,890 | 25,086 | 40,638 | 7,168 | 10,283 | 7,995 | 393 |
| 2004 | 27,496 | 24,968 | 41,480 | 6,921 | 12,886 | 9,007 | 410 |
| 2005 | 27,252 | 25,155 | 44,070 | 6,810 | 14,819 | 10,079 | 411 |
| 2006 | 31,226 | 32,961 | 45,243 | 13 | 16,943 | 8,403 | 269 |
| 2007 | 52,210 | 32,904 | 46,352 | 17 | 18,831 | 8,995 | 269 |
| 2008 | 53,891 | 33,211 | 47,881 | 18 | 21,068 | 9,295 | 266 |
| 2009 | 54,903 | 33,032 | 47,042 | 12 | 22,334 | 9,279 | 272 |
(1) Retirement Pension is not included with State Pension Contributory prior to 2007.
(2) In September 2006 Persons in receipt of Widow/er's Non-Contributory Pension and Blind Pension aged over 65 switched to State Pension Non-Contributory.
(3) Living Alone Allowance was introduced for Invalidity Pensioners under 66 on 5th April 2001. Recipients of Invalidity Pension aged over 65 switched to State Pension Contributory from September 2006.
(4) Living Alone Allowance was introduced for persons on Disability Allowance in April 2001.
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