Written answers
Thursday, 18 October 2018
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Schemes Expenditure
Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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317. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all carer payments by €20, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42785/18]
Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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320. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social insurance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42788/18]
Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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321. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social assistance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42789/18]
Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 320 and 321 together.
On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a €5 increase in the maximum rates of all weekly social assistance and social insurance payments, with proportionate increases for those on reduced rates and for qualified adults. Young jobseekers on age-related reduced rates of payment will benefit from the full €5 increase. These weekly rate increases will take effect from the week commencing 25th March 2019.
The estimated full year cost of increasing carer payments by €20 is as follows;
| Payment | Cost €million |
|---|---|
| Carer's Allowance and Benefit (€20 per week) | 68.15 |
| Domiciliary Care Allowance (€20 per month) | 11.77 |
| Carer's Support Grant (€20 per year) | 2.36 |
The other costings sought by the Deputy are detailed in the following tables:
Cost of varying increases in all weekly social insurance payments
| Scheme | Full year cost of a €5 increase | Full year cost of a €10 increase | Full year cost of a €15 increase | Full year cost of a €20 increase | Full year cost of a €25 increase | Full year cost of a €30 increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Schemes | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m |
| Pension Payments | ||||||
| State Pension (Contributory) | 112.24 | 224.91 | 336.90 | 449.41 | 561.71 | 674.24 |
| Widow/er's Contributory Pension (Aged 66 and over) | 24.76 | 49.59 | 74.35 | 99.09 | 123.85 | 148.61 |
| Deserted Wife's Benefit (Aged 66 and over) | 1.53 | 3.06 | 4.59 | 6.11 | 7.64 | 9.17 |
| Death Benefit Pension | 0.19 | 0.38 | 0.58 | 0.77 | 0.96 | 1.15 |
| Working Age Payments | ||||||
| Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension | 7.74 | 15.50 | 23.24 | 30.98 | 38.72 | 46.49 |
| Deserted Wife's Benefit | 0.82 | 1.63 | 2.45 | 3.26 | 4.08 | 4.90 |
| Invalidity Pension | 16.28 | 32.52 | 48.80 | 65.08 | 81.36 | 97.60 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | 0.43 | 0.87 | 1.30 | 1.73 | 2.17 | 2.60 |
| Guardian's Payment (Contributory) | 0.31 | 0.61 | 0.92 | 1.22 | 1.53 | 1.83 |
| Disablement Pension | 1.29 | 2.57 | 3.86 | 5.14 | 6.43 | 7.72 |
| Illness Benefit | 13.72 | 27.48 | 41.24 | 54.97 | 68.70 | 82.45 |
| Injury Benefit | 0.41 | 0.83 | 1.24 | 1.65 | 2.07 | 2.48 |
| Incapacity Supplement | 0.28 | 0.56 | 0.84 | 1.11 | 1.39 | 1.67 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | 8.52 | 17.05 | 25.60 | 34.12 | 42.64 | 51.18 |
| Carer's Benefit | 0.72 | 1.44 | 2.15 | 2.87 | 3.59 | 4.31 |
| Health and Safety Benefit | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.07 |
| Maternity & Adoptive Benefit | 5.16 | 10.32 | 15.48 | 20.63 | 25.79 | 30.95 |
| Paternity Benefit | 0.22 | 0.45 | 0.67 | 0.89 | 1.12 | 1.34 |
| Total Social Insurance Schemes | 194.63 | 389.79 | 584.23 | 779.11 | 973.81 | 1,168.75 |
Cost of varying increases in all weekly social assistance payments
| Scheme | Full year cost of a €5 increase | Full year cost of a €10 increase | Full year cost of a €15 increase | Full year cost of a €20 increase | Full year cost of a €25 increase | Full year cost of a €30 increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Assistance Schemes | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m | €m |
| Pension Payments | ||||||
| State Pension (Non Con) | 25.14 | 50.28 | 75.42 | 100.56 | 125.70 | 150.83 |
| Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over) | 0.45 | 0.91 | 1.36 | 1.82 | 2.27 | 2.73 |
| Half Rate Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over) | 1.48 | 2.97 | 4.45 | 5.94 | 7.42 | 8.91 |
| Working Age Payments | ||||||
| Blind Pension | 0.33 | 0.67 | 1.00 | 1.33 | 1.66 | 2.00 |
| Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension | 0.36 | 0.72 | 1.08 | 1.44 | 1.79 | 2.15 |
| Deserted Wife's Allowance | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.07 | 0.10 | 0.12 | 0.15 |
| One-Parent Family Payment | 10.22 | 20.45 | 30.67 | 40.90 | 51.12 | 61.35 |
| Carer's Allowance | 11.22 | 22.45 | 33.67 | 44.90 | 56.12 | 67.34 |
| Half Rate Carer's Allowance | 3.16 | 6.31 | 9.47 | 12.63 | 15.78 | 18.94 |
| Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory) | 0.14 | 0.29 | 0.43 | 0.57 | 0.72 | 0.86 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | 39.01 | 78.03 | 117.21 | 156.22 | 195.24 | 234.25 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 18 to 24 years of age | 2.98 | 5.97 | 8.95 | 11.94 | 14.92 | 17.91 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 25 years of age | 0.45 | 0.89 | 1.34 | 1.79 | 2.24 | 2.68 |
| Disability Allowance | 40.06 | 80.12 | 120.26 | 160.33 | 200.39 | 240.45 |
| Farm Assist | 2.17 | 4.34 | 6.52 | 8.69 | 10.86 | 13.03 |
| Back to Education Allowance | 1.49 | 2.97 | 4.46 | 5.95 | 7.44 | 8.93 |
| Back to Work Enterprise Allowance | 1.79 | 3.56 | 5.36 | 7.13 | 8.92 | 10.69 |
| Community Employment | 6.32 | 12.63 | 18.96 | 25.28 | 31.59 | 37.91 |
| TÚS | 1.95 | 3.89 | 5.84 | 7.79 | 9.74 | 11.68 |
| Rural Social Scheme | 1.12 | 2.24 | 3.36 | 4.48 | 5.60 | 6.72 |
| Job Initiative | 0.37 | 0.74 | 1.10 | 1.47 | 1.84 | 2.21 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | 4.35 | 8.70 | 13.07 | 17.42 | 21.77 | 26.12 |
| Total Social Assistance Schemes | 154.64 | 309.26 | 464.23 | 618.85 | 773.49 | 928.12 |
The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2019. It should be noted that these costs are subject to change in the context of emerging trends.
It should also be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant.
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