Joe Walsh
Question:206 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of households in the country which are receiving some form of social welfare payment; and the number of households receiving more than one payment. [4135/96]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
The information sought by the Deputy is not available as statistics are compiled on an individual and not on a household basis.
Most of the data available on social welfare payments is given in "Statistical Information on Social Welfare Payments 1994", which is published annually by the Department. The 1995 report will be available by mid-year.
Joe Walsh
Question:207 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the net change over the past 12 months in the number of people receiving each type of social welfare payment; and the net cost change in each instance. [4136/96]
The following tables show the change in the number of recipients and in the level of expenditure between December 1994 and December 1995.
Number of recipients of Social Welfare Payments by payment type, December 1994 and December 1995
|
Type of Benefit, Pension or Assistance |
Recipients |
Increase (Decrease) |
|
|
1994 |
1995 |
||
|
Old Age Pension (Contributory) |
70,820 |
69,348 |
(1,472) |
|
Retirement Pension |
62,211 |
64,860 |
2,649 |
|
Old Age Pension (Non-Contributory) |
108,301 |
105,733 |
(2,568) |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
15,284 |
14,762 |
(522) |
|
Total Old Age |
256,616 |
254,703 |
(1,913) |
|
Disability Benefit |
41,869 |
43,211 |
1,342 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
40,226 |
40,765 |
539 |
|
Injury Benefit |
740 |
736 |
(4) |
|
Interim Disability Benefit |
854 |
855 |
1 |
|
Disablement Benefit |
8,646 |
8,916 |
270 |
|
Death Benefit Pension |
499 |
498 |
(1) |
|
Disabled Persons Maintenance Allowance |
34,319 |
n.a. |
n.a. |
|
Workmen's Compensation Supplements |
5 |
4 |
(1) |
|
Total Illness (excluding disabled person's maintenance allowance) |
92,839 |
94,985 |
2,146 |
|
Survivor's Pension (1) |
90,671 |
94,056 |
3,385 |
|
Widow's Pension (Non-Contributory) |
19,043 |
19,119 |
76 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
13,662 |
14,182 |
520 |
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance |
2,095 |
2,108 |
13 |
|
Prisoner's Wife's Allowance |
7 |
7 |
0 |
|
Lone Parent's Allowance |
40,700 |
44,469 |
3,769 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
3,971 |
4,341 |
370 |
|
Health and Safety Benefit (2) |
4 |
16 |
12 |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
— |
5 |
5 |
|
Orphan's Allowance (Contributory) |
709 |
745 |
36 |
|
Orphan's Pension(Non-Contributory) |
237 |
288 |
51 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance (3) |
16,800 |
18,800 |
2,000 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
10,671 |
10,866 |
195 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
5,056 |
6,525 |
1,469 |
|
Total Family Income Support |
203,626 |
215,527 |
11,901 |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
60,708 |
56,580 |
(4,128) |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
193,278 |
198,019 |
4,741 |
|
Smallholders |
10,276 |
9,901 |
(375) |
|
Total Unemployment |
264,262 |
264,500 |
238 |
|
Rent Allowance |
794 |
756 |
(38) |
|
Total Miscellaneous |
794 |
756 |
(38) |
|
Total (excluding disabled person's maintenance allowance) |
818,137 |
830,471 |
12,334 |
|
Child Benefit |
482,592 |
491,520 |
8,928 |
|
Treatment Benefit(4) |
137,783 |
139,980 |
2,197 |
|
Free Schemes |
974,272 |
1,012,153 |
37,881 |
|
Total Non-Weekly Payments |
1,594,647 |
1,643,653 |
49,006 |
n.a.= not available.
1. Payment introduced on 28 October 1994 to include widowed women and men. It incorporates the Widow's Contributory Pension.
2. Scheme introduced on 19 October 1994.
3. Latest date available as at December 1995. Includes basic weekly payments only.
4. Refers to number of claims.
Expenditure on Social Welfare by payment type — 1994 (Final) and 1995 (Provisional)
|
Type of Benefit, Pension or Assistance |
Recipients |
Increase (Decrease) |
|
|
1994 |
1995 |
||
|
£000 |
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
Old Age (Contributory) Pension |
314,997 |
316,900 |
1,903 |
|
Retirement Pension |
256,132 |
280,300 |
24,168 |
|
Old Age (Non-Contributory) Pension |
319,076 |
317,200 |
(1,876) |
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance |
58,906 |
57,200 |
(1,706) |
|
Disabled Persons' Maintenance Allowance (a) |
— |
48,000 |
48,000 |
|
Disability Benefit |
165,431 |
167,700 |
2,269 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
171,165 |
176,300 |
5,135 |
|
Injury Benefit (including interim DB) |
5,544 |
5,700 |
156 |
|
Disablement Benefit |
30,114 |
32,442 |
3,328 |
|
Death Benefit |
2,409 |
2,438 |
29 |
|
Workmen's Compensation Supplements |
19 |
18 |
(1) |
|
Medical Care |
106 |
102 |
(4) |
|
Death Grants |
972 |
930 |
(42) |
|
Survivor's Pension (1) |
306,237 |
342,150 |
35,913 |
|
Widow's (Non-Contributory) Pension |
56,039 |
58,220 |
2,181 |
|
Orphan's (Non-Contributory) Pension |
470 |
580 |
110 |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
65,834 |
70,100 |
4,266 |
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance |
6,359 |
6,675 |
316 |
|
Prisoner's Wife's Allowance |
20 |
25 |
5 |
|
Lone Parent's Allowance |
170,493 |
194,300 |
23,807 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
24,353 |
27,300 |
2,947 |
|
Health and Safety Benefit |
— |
50 |
50 |
|
Adoptive Benefit |
— |
60 |
60 |
|
Orphan's (Contributory) Allowance |
1,521 |
1,750 |
229 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
108,106 |
119,500 |
11,394 |
|
Family Income Supplement |
20,825 |
21,300 |
475 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
14,370 |
20,200 |
5,830 |
|
Unemployment Benefit |
231,155 |
204,800 |
(26,355) |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
799,518 |
798,900 |
(618) |
|
Employment Support Services (b) |
20,515 |
44,400 |
23,885 |
|
Rent Allowance |
751 |
710 |
(41) |
|
Sub Total |
3,151,437 |
3,316,250 |
(164,813) |
|
Free Schemes (b) |
124,570 |
134,320 |
9,750 |
|
Treatment Benefit |
23,735 |
25,650 |
1,915 |
|
Child Benefit |
265,469 |
301,000 |
35,531 |
|
Miscellaneous (b) |
12,054 |
13,409 |
1,355 |
|
Total |
3,577,265 |
3,790,629 |
213,364 |
(a) DPMA was funded from Social Welfare Vote from August 1995.
(b) See Additional Expenditure details, attached.
Additional Expenditure details — 1994 (Final) and 1995 (Provisional)
|
Type of Benefit, Pension or Assistance |
Expenditure |
|
|
1994 |
1995 |
|
|
£000 |
£000 |
|
|
1. Employment Support Services |
||
|
Back to Work Allowances |
9,207 |
25,200 |
|
Student's Summer Job Scheme |
4,769 |
10,100 |
|
Area Based Enterprise Allowance |
3,332 |
4,050 |
|
Third Level Allowances |
2,009 |
3,300 |
|
Part-time Job Incentive Scheme |
1,198 |
1,205 |
|
Other payments |
— |
545 |
|
Total |
20,515 |
44,400 |
|
2. Free Schemes |
||
|
Free Fuel Allowances |
39,903 |
42,800 |
|
Free Travel |
29,561 |
31,300 |
|
Free Electricity |
25,022 |
26,020 |
|
Free Bottled Gas |
76 |
70 |
|
Free Natural Gas |
515 |
560 |
|
Free Television Licence |
9,696 |
10,380 |
|
Free Telephone Rental |
19,797 |
23,190 |
|
Total |
124,570 |
134,320 |
|
3. Miscellaneous |
||
|
Combat Poverty Agency |
1,612 |
1,920 |
|
Grants to Voluntary Bodies |
9,722 |
10,759 |
|
School Meals |
720 |
730 |
|
Total |
12,054 |
13,409 |