Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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196. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if eligibility for the living alone increase could be provided for those under 66 years who receive the widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension; the reason it is not provided currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16293/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Living Alone Increase is a weekly payment, which is not means tested. The Living Alone Increase is an additional payment made each week to persons who live alone and are in receipt of certain Social Protection payments.

These payments include recipients, 66 or over, of State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow's/Widower's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit.

The only payment types that allow a person under age 66 to receive the Living Alone Increase are payments to people who have a long-term illness or disability, i.e., Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.

The Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension and the Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-contributory) Pension which are available to those under the age of 66 do not, specifically, require the recipient to be living alone. One of the conditions of receipt is that the claimant is not co-habiting as a couple with another person. The claimant may however live with other family members or have dependent children in the case of the Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension. The conditions for receipt of the living alone increase would preclude such situations.

Any further widening of the qualifying criteria for accessing the living alone increase could only be considered while taking account of the overall policy and budgetary situation.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.