Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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220. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently in receipt of the over-80s allowance; the cost of this in 2014; the number of State pension recipients who currently receive an increase for a qualified adult, for a person who is 80 years of age or over; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8273/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The over 80 allowance is an increase of €10 per week on the basic pension rate, which is automatically awarded to qualified pensioners on attaining 80 years of age. In the year ending 2014, the following were in receipt of the allowance at a total cost of approximately €75 million in a full year:

- 71,070 State pension (contributory) pensioners,

- 34,156 State pension (non-contributory) pensioners,

- 38,050 widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pensioners.

An Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where the pensioner has a spouse or civil partner who is financially dependent on them, and who does not have enough contributions to claim a maximum rate State pension (contributory) in his/her own right. The maximum rate of an IQA for someone over 66 is €206.30, and so in most cases where it is claimed, such couples have additional income or means above their State pension, as otherwise they would obtain a higher payment by the dependent spouse making a claim to the State pension (non-contributory), which is means-tested and has a maximum personal rate of €219 weekly (plus additional allowances, such as the over-80 allowance, where applicable). In the year ending 2014, there were some 7,750 qualified adults on State pension (contributory) claims who are at least 80 years of age, and this is expected to increase in the coming years.