Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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555. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to review the eligibility for the living alone increase, particularly for those not reliant on a social protection payment, but may, for example, have a modest occupational pension (details supplied). [32074/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature and cannot be made available to those who are not in receipt of a primary payment.

The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment, but it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.

For those aged 66 or over, payments eligible for the LAI include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Widow’s, Widower’s, or Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit. LAI 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.

There are no circumstances where the LAI can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment from my Department or who do not meet the living alone eligibility criteria. Any change to the qualifying criteria for this payment would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.