Written answers

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits Data

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

242. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 194 of 15 November 2018, if she will direct officials in her Department to answer the question as it was put, that is, to provide the financial savings made in each of the years from 2015 to 2017 as a direct result of the introduction of reduced rates of social welfare payments to persons under 25 years of age. [48616/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As stated in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 194 of 15 November 2018, the age-related reduced rate of €100 per week for Jobseeker's Allowance recipients was introduced in Budget 2010 in respect of 18 and 19 year olds, and extended in subsequent Budgets to those under the age of 25.

The following table shows the financial savings (i.e. the estimated cost that would have been incurred to increase the age–related reduced rates to the maximum rate for those under 25 years of age) in respect of the years 2015, 2016 and 2017:

YearEstimated cost of maximum rate
2015€131.3 million; 
2016€133.6 million
2017€101.9 million

These costs do not include increasing the weekly rates for those aged 25 on age-related reduced rates.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.