Written answers

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Department of Social Protection

Living Alone Allowance

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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428. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the living alone allowance form €7.70 a week in budget 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29898/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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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 disability allowance, 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%.

Each €1 increase in the living alone allowance would cost €9.4milllion in a full year. The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.

The appropriate rates of welfare payments in 2015, including the weekly rate of the living alone allowance, will be considered in the context of the Government’s discussions on the next Budget.

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