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. In that context, the over-70s income limit for a single person has been reduced proportionately less than the income limit for a couple. This differential concept is not new and is evident in other areas of public policy e.g.: the State pension is €230 per week for an individual and €436 per week for a couple; the provision of the Living Alone Increase - an extra payment for people on social welfare pensions who are living alone; differential income limits apply for medical cards for persons aged under 70 years between individuals and couples; and in the assessment for Supplementary Welfare Allowance, a differential applies whereby the rate for a dependent qualified adult is not half the personal rate of the applicant.