Social Welfare Benefits.

Tuesday, 30 November 2004

Questions (292)

David Stanton

Question:

346 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number receiving the contributory old age and non-contributory old age pension payment in each of the years 1998 to 2004 to date; the number he estimates will receive the payments in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31480/04]

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Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mr. Brennan)

According to the records of my Department the number of people receiving the means tested non-contributory pension and contributory based pensions, namely, retirement and old age contributory pension, since 1998 is as follows:

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004 (Oct)
CP	71,706	76,241	86,217	94,871	105,295	113,970	117,138
RP	75,316	78,868	78,370	80,326	83,055	86,509	88,261
OAP	95,890	93,023	90,652	89,061	87,823	86,733	85,275

The movement from non-contributory to contributory pensions reflects the extension over the years of full social insurance coverage to various groups with, for example, the self employed in 1988, part-time workers in 1991 and public servants in 1995 being the most significant. At the same time, a number of special initiatives have been implemented such as the pre-53 pension in 2000, and the special pensions for self employed who were already over 56 years of age when compulsory social insurance was introduced for that group in 1988.

In 2005 it is estimated that the numbers receiving contributory based pensions will increase by some 3.7% while the decrease in non-contributory pension will continue with a further fall off in the region of about 2%.