Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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203. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will give due consideration to extending the living alone allowance to those in receipt of pensions as a qualified adult (for example, cases where the other spouse or partner is in nursing-home care); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5092/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Living Alone Allowance is a payment for people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory), Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension, Widow's, Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Deserted Wife's Benefit, and who are living alone.

It is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.

The Living Alone Increase is not means tested and the payment is made as an increase to the recipient’s primary social welfare payment.

A claimant must be in receipt of a primary Social Protection payment in order to qualify for the Living Alone Increase. It cannot be paid to dependents of the recipient of the primary payment. Any change to this would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.