John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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2075. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the full year estimated cost of increasing fuel allowance by €6.50. [28511/17]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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2102. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the living alone allowance to €15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28867/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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2112. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing fuel allowance by €6.50 back to 2010 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28989/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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2129. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing State pension payments by €10; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28981/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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2130. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing disability allowance by €10; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28982/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2075, 2102, 2112, 2129 and 2130 together.

The full year cost of increasing the fuel allowance by €6.50 per week, from €22.50 to €29 per week, for the duration of the fuel season is estimated to be €66 million in 2018.

The full year cost of increasing the living alone allowance by €6, from €9 to €15.00 per week, is estimated to be €62.5 million in 2018.

The full year cost of increasing all payments, other than the living alone allowance, made to individuals aged 66 or more is detailed in the table below:

The full year cost of increasing disability allowance by €10 per week is estimated to be €74.8 million in 2018.

There is an analogous social insurance payment, Invalidity Pension (€198.50 per week), which is paid to people who are permanently incapable of work (subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria and a minimum number of paid qualifying PRSI contributions). Each €1 increase in the weekly rate of Invalidity Pension would cost €3.2 million in a full year.

In addition, Blind pension is available for those aged 18 to 66 who are blind or visually impaired. The cost of a €1 weekly rate increase in the Blind Pension is €0.07 million in 2017 and a full year.

It should be noted that (i) in the event of the Disability Allowance weekly rate exceeding the Invalidity Pension rate, some Invalidity pensioners (number not determinable) would transfer to the means-tested Disability Allowance scheme to avail of the higher rate on that scheme; (ii) additional costs might arise as some people in receipt of other welfare schemes might potentially apply for and qualify for Disability Allowance thereby also benefitting from a higher rate of payment than that which applies to their current scheme or (iii) offsetting savings on the Rent Supplement scheme as the additional weekly increase would reduce the level of entitlement under that scheme.

The costings listed above include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant. It should also be noted that these costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2018.