I propose to take Questions Nos. 443 and 498 together.
The Government recognises that the living costs of an individual living alone are more than half the living costs of a couple living together and that expenditure does not necessarily diminish relative to the number of people in the household. This is recognised, inter alia, through the provision of the Living Alone Increase and differential income limits for medical cards for persons aged under 70 years between individuals and couples.
In that context, the over-70s income limit for a single person has been reduced proportionately less than the income limit for a couple.