Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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211. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of equalising to the adult rate reduced rate pensions and jobseeker's allowance for those under 26 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39290/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The full year cost of increasing the reduced personal weekly rates for those aged 66 and over in receipt of the State Pension Contributory and the Widow/er's and Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension to the maximum weekly rate of €243.30 is estimated at c. €333 million in 2019. This cost includes proportionate increases for qualified adults, where applicable. It does not include the cost of increasing pro-rata pension payments to the maximum rate.

The full year cost of increasing the age-related reduced rates of Jobseeker's Allowance for those under 26 years of age, from €107.70 per week and €152.80 per week to the maximum rate of €198 per week, is €59.6 million. This includes the cost of increasing the €107.70 rate qualified adult rate to the maximum €131.40 per week, and any associated costs in the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019.