Written answers

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Schemes Data

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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562. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of beneficiaries for each social welfare payment who are entitled and not entitled, respectively, to the Christmas bonus in 2018, in tabular form. [52172/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Christmas Bonus was paid last week to 1.2 million long-term social welfare beneficiaries, such as pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and long-term unemployed jobseekers, among others.  For the first time in 10 years, the Bonus was paid at 100%.  The Bonus is paid in recognition of the long-term financial dependence of these recipients on their weekly payment for all or most of their income. 

Payment of the Bonus this year was based on the same eligibility requirements as in previous years.  Some payments, namely Jobseeker's Allowance, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Back to Education Allowance and Daily Expenses Allowance, have a duration requirement of 15 months in order to be eligible for the Bonus.  As in previous years, the Bonus is not paid to short-term schemes, such as Jobseeker's Benefit or Illness Benefit. 

The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy, including the estimated number of weekly social welfare recipients not entitled to the Bonus payment in December.  It should be noted that the table does not include monthly and annual payments that are not eligible for the Bonus, such as Child Benefit and Carer's Support Grant.

SchemeEstimated Number of Eligible Recipients  Estimated Number of Ineligible Recipients
State Pension Non-Contributory94,9000
Jobseeker's Allowance*111,68033,504
One-Parent Family Payment39,4550
Widow(er)s' Pension (non-con)1,3850
Deserted Wife's Allowance1100
Supplementary Welfare Allowance*4,40012,370
Daily Expenses Allowance (formerly Direct Provision Allowance)*1,9501,240
Farm Assist6,6450
Community Employment21,4650
Rural Social Scheme3,0300
Tús6,3800
Job Initiative7200
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance9,8600
Back to Education Allowance*8,390839
Back to Work Family Dividend7,0500
Disability Allowance141,4500
Blind Pension1,2050
Carer's Allowance78,7150
Domiciliary Care Allowance**38,8100
Guardian's Payment (non-con)5450
Working Family Payment053,732
Magdalene Commission Scheme4050
Subtotal Assistance578,900101,685
State Pension (Contributory)428,0250
Widow(er)s' Surviving Civil Partners Pension (Con)121,3200
Occupational Injuries Death Benefit7300
Deserted Wife's Benefit6,1800
Partial Capacity Benefit2,4850
Invalidity Pension57,2900
Disablement Benefit14,2800
Carer's Benefit2,7550
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)1,1550
Jobseeker's Benefit033,744
Illness Benefit053,300
Maternity Benefit020,850
Paternity Benefit0957
Adoptive Benefit018
Subtotal Insurance634,230108,869
Total Assistance & Insurance1,213,130210,554
*15 months duration on eligible social welfare payment or scheme required in order to be eligible for the Bonus.

**Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment; the Bonus is paid as 100% of a week's equivalent payment.

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