Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

63. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the living alone allowance for pensioners in view of the huge financial pressure of running a household on one income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24825/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Living Alone Allowance (LAA) was introduced from October 1977, and 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, including State pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of , invalidity pension, incapacity supplement or blind pension.

The most recent Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) data from 2012 shows that the various poverty indicators demonstrate no significant difference in outcomes for those over 65 living alone, and those over 65 who live with another adult. The “at risk of poverty rate” for households aged over 65 with one adult was 12.9%. For households with two adults it was 13%. Similarly, the consistent poverty rate for households aged over 65 with one adult was 3.1% and for two adults it was 2.9%.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am not in a position to pre-empt the outcome of discussions regarding Budget 2015. The appropriate rate of welfare payments in 2015, including the weekly rate of the living alone allowance, will be considered later this year. In this regard, each €1 increase in the living alone allowance would cost €9.4milllion in a full year.