Written answers
Wednesday, 16 June 2021
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Rates
Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of indexing core social welfare rates to 27.5% of average weekly earnings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32265/21]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Central Statistics Office (CSO) produce various estimates of earnings, covering different time periods and income bases. The range of estimates cater for, for example, annual and quarterly figures, average earnings for regular earnings, and average earnings which include irregular earnings.
In addition, the CSO has advised caution when looking at earnings data since the onset of the pandemic crisis due to the impact of Covid supports and reduced response rates for the Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey (EHECS). In light of the caution expressed by the CSO, I set out below a cost for increasing the main weekly social welfare rates by €1 per scheme.
Payment | Personal €m | Qualified Adult €m | Total €m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Schemes | |||
| State Pension (Contributory) | € 22.0 | € 3.0 | € 25.0 |
| Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension | € 6.2 | € 6.2 | |
| Deserted Wife's Benefit | € 0.3 | € 0.3 | |
| Invalidity Pension | € 3.1 | € 0.2 | € 3.3 |
| Partial Capacity Benefit | € 0.1 | € 0.0 | € 0.1 |
| Guardian's Payment (Contributory) | € 0.1 | € 0.1 | |
| Disablement Pension | € 0.2 | € 0.2 | |
| Illness Benefit | € 2.5 | € 0.1 | € 2.6 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit | € 6.6 | € 0.4 | € 7.0 |
| Jobseeker's Benefit (Self Employed) | € 0.2 | € 0.0 | € 0.2 |
| Carer's Benefit | € 0.2 | € 0.2 | |
| Maternity & Adoptive Benefit | € 1.0 | € 1.0 | |
| Paternity & Parent's Benefit | € 0.1 | € 0.1 | |
| Social Assistance Schemes | |||
| State Pension (Non Con) | € 5.0 | € 0.1 | € 5.1 |
| Blind Person's Pension | € 0.1 | € 0.0 | € 0.1 |
| Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension | € 0.1 | € 0.1 | |
| One-Parent Family Payment | € 2.1 | € 2.1 | |
| Carer's Allowance | € 2.6 | € 2.6 | |
| Half Rate Carer's Allowance | € 1.1 | € 1.1 | |
| Jobseeker's Allowance Max Rate | € 6.4 | € 1.1 | € 7.5 |
| JA age 18 to 24 | € 0.7 | € 0.0 | € 0.7 |
| Disability Allowance | € 8.0 | € 0.6 | € 8.6 |
| Farm Assist | € 0.3 | € 0.1 | € 0.4 |
| Employment Support Schemes (BTWA & BTEA) | € 0.7 | € 0.1 | € 0.8 |
| Employment/Internship Schemes (CE, Tús, RSS etc.) | € 1.7 | € 0.3 | € 2.0 |
| Supplementary Welfare Allowance | € 0.7 | € 0.1 | € 0.8 |
| TOTAL* | € 72.1 | € 6.1 | € 78.2 |
The costs shown above are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
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