The Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes made a range of recommendations in relation to my Department. The recommendations which were implemented, in whole or in part, in Budget 2010 are outlined in the following table.
Special Group Recommendations
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Budget 2010 Measure
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Estimated 2010 Savings
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|
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€m
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Rates of Payment — 5% reduction in all weekly rates of payment.
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Rates of Payment — reductions ranging between 3.5% and 4.2% in the weekly personal and qualified adult rates of payment for people of working age.
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437
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Child Benefit — reduce and standardise the rate of Child Benefit to €136 per month, a reduction of €30 per month in the lower rate and €67 per month in the higher rate.
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Child Benefit — reduction of €16 per month in both the lower and higher rates. Social welfare recipients and lower income workers in receipt of family income supplement were fully compensated through a €3.80 per week increase for each qualified child and a €6 per week per child increase in the family income supplement income thresholds.
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123 (net)
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Jobseeker’s Allowance & SWA — reductions in weekly rates of payment of Jobseeker’s Allowance/SWA for persons aged under 25 to €150 per week.
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Jobseeker’s Allowance & SWA — the weekly rate payable to new claimants aged 20 and 21 was reduced to €100 and the weekly rate payable to new claimants aged 22 to 24 years (inclusive) w as reduced to €150. However, 20 to 24 year olds with dependent children will not be affected, nor will recipients who have exhausted their entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit or those who transfer directly from disability allowance.
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54
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Treatment Benefit — abolition/discontinuation of the Treatment Benefit Scheme.
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Treatment Benefit — the scheme will be limited in 2010 to the Medical and Surgical Appliances scheme and the free examinations provided for under Dental and Optical Benefits.
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54
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Rent Supplement — re-examination of rent caps on a regional basis and the duration of entitlement.
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Rent Supplement — rent limits that apply to new Rent Supplement agreements will be reduced to reflect reductions in private rent levels.
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20
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