Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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527. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of men and women separately who were recipients of the benefit payment for 65-year-olds in 2021; the number of men and women separately aged 65 years who were in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18115/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds is a payment for people aged 65 who have ceased employment or self-employment and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. It became operational in February 2021. To qualify for Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds, you must:

- be 65 years of age

- have ceased employment/self-employment

- be resident in the Republic of Ireland

- have sufficient PRSI contributions

Jobseeker's allowance is a means tested payment to people who are unemployed. To qualify for jobseeker's allowance, a person must:

- be fully unemployed, or work three days a week or less

- be available and genuinely seeking work

- be capable of work

- pass a means test

- meet the habitual residence condition

Table 1 below shows the number of males and females in receipt of the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds by month in 2021. Table 2 below shows the number of males and females aged 65 in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in 2021 by month.

Table 1: Number of recipients of Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds in 2021, by month and sex

Table 2: Number of recipients of jobseeker's allowance aged 65 by month in 2021, by month and sex

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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528. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households with an older person aged 70 plus in receipt of the household benefits package in 2021; the number of households with an older person aged 70 plus not in receipt of the household benefits package in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18116/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. Only one Household Benefits package is payable per household.

At the end of 2021, the Household Benefits package was paid to some 480,000 recipients, of which some 330,000 were aged 70 or over. These households could include other persons over 70 years of age. It is also possible that there may be persons residing in a household who are over 70 years of age where the recipient of the Household Benefits package is under age 70.

My Department does not maintain a record of the number of households nationally, with a person aged over 70, who are not in receipt of the Household Benefits package.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.