Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1993

Vol. 432 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Pat Cox

Question:

91 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total cost of unemployment assistance and unemployment benefit each year since 1973; the number of claimants for each category by year; the number of the total claimants classified as long term unemployed in each of those years; and the percentage of total unemployed accounted for by the long term unemployed in each year.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The information relating to expenditure and number of claimants by year is as set out in the following tables 1 and 2. For the purposes of the duration analysis requested by the Deputy, long term unemployment is defined as continuous unemployment for a year or more as this is the only basis on which the time series data requested is available. Table 3 shows the numbers on the Live Register in each category who have been continuously registered as unemployed for a duration of a year or more. This analysis is not available prior to 1980.

Expenditure on Unemployment Assistance and Unemployment Benefit 1973-1992.

Year	Unemployment Assistance	Unemployment Benefit	Total
	(£000)	(£000)	(£000)
1973(1)	19,216	13,661	32,877
1974(2)	18,660	13,036	31,696
1975	38,296	35,206	73,502
1976	50,037	43,322	93,359
1977	57,189	44,484	101,673
1978	63,416	44,500	107,916
1979	66,294	43,158	109,452
1980	81,710	70,529	152,239
1981	108,846	113,372	222,218
1982	168,751	165,458	334,209
1983	224,066	216,343	440,409
1984	291,770	219,465	511,235
1985	351,458	235,213	586,671
1986	391,538	237,081	628,619
1987	415,370	234,512	649,882
1988	440,049	215,249	655,298
1989	483,470	186,254	669,724
1990	522,030	172,211	694,241
1991	602,333	213,291	815,624
1992	719,379	242,380	961,759

(1)Expenditure for year ended 31 March 1974.

(2)Expenditure for period 1 April 1974 to 31 December 1974.

Table 2

Claimants to Unemployment Assistance and Unemployment Benefit 1973-1992.

Year	Unemployment Assistance	Unemployment Benefit	Total
1973	29,422	36,130	65,552
1974	32,987	53,431	86,418
1975	44,358	61,177	105,535
1976	49,135	61,238	110,373
1977	49,827	55,594	105,421
1978	48,139	47,756	95,895
1979	43,871	43,403	87,274
1980	50,178	67,154	117,332
1981	63,071	72,961	136,032
1982	82,084	91,377	173,461
1983	102,837	97,285	200,122
1984	119,626	95,771	215,397
1985	129,450	97,877	227,327
1986	140,785	96,589	237,374
1987	145,647	90,345	235,992
1988	148,899	78,291	226,596
1989	148,305	65,433	213,738
1990	152,042	65,754	217,796
1991	175,123	78,360	253,483
1992	196,467	79,872	276,339

Table 3

Number and Percentage of the Live Register Classified as Long-term Unemployed (1 year and over duration) October 1980 to 1992.

	Total Live Register	of which over 1 year duration	% of total
October 1980	105,018	32,870	31.3
October 1981	123,660	37,655	30.5
October 1982	157,574	47,303	30.0
October 1983	188,389	67,680	35.9
October 1984	201,929	81,155	40.2
October 1985	213,644	91,828	43.0
October 1986	218,478	97,446	44.6
October 1987	224,612	100,352	44.7
October 1988	218,467	99,404	45.5
October 1989	202,954	91,336	45.0
October 1990	203,276	89,050	43.8
October 1991	240,300	99,567	41.4
October 1992	263,719	113,533	43.1

Source: CSO "Half Yearly Age by Duration Analysis".

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

92 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the current position regarding the application for a lone parent's allowance/benefit for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

93 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will reconsider an application for a further appeal against his Department's decision in respect of a lone parents allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare on the basis that she was informed in 1988 that she could not appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.

In February 1988, the person concerned applied for a Deserted Wife's Allowance. However, her application had to be disallowed as she failed to satisfy the Department that her husband had of his own volition left her. She appealed against this decision. Following an oral hearing of her case in September 1988, an appeals officer upheld the decision to refuse her deserted wife's allowance. The appeals officer's decision is final and conclusive and cannot be reviewed except in the light of new facts or fresh evidence.

The person concerned applied for a means tested lone parent's allowance in February 1993. One of the conditions for receipt of this allowance is that the claimant must not have means in excess of a specified limit — £3,848 per annum in the case of a person with one child dependant. In addition, the Department must be fully satisfied that the claimant is separated and not receiving adequate maintenance from his or her spouse.

During an investigation of her claim in May 1993, the person concerned was requested by a local officer of the Department to produce for inspection her business bank account, her building society account and a copy of documentation relating to her legal separation from her husband. As she failed to produce these documents, it was not possible for the Department to determine if she was eligible for the allowance. Accordingly, it was decided recently that her application for lone parent's allowance had to be disallowed as she had not fully disclosed her means. She is being notified of this decision.

If the person concerned produces the relevant documentation requested, her entitlement to lone parent's allowance will be reviewed and she will be notified of the outcome without delay. Alternatively she can appeal to the independent social welfare appeals office against the disallowance.

Ned O'Keeffe

Question:

94 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of widows who are, at present, in receipt of non-contributory widow's pension and contributory widow's pension respectively and the overall payment made by his Department in 1992 for non-contributory pension and contributory widow's pensions respectively.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

At 30 April 1993 there were 85,744 recipients of widow's (contributory) pension and 18,671 recipients of widow's (non-contributory) pension. The cost of the contributory pension in 1992 was £282.5 million and the non-contributory scheme cost £51.4 million.