Social Welfare Schemes Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 October 2018

Thursday, 18 October 2018

Questions (317, 320, 321)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

317. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all carer payments by €20, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42785/18]

Willie O'Dea

Question:

320. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social insurance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42788/18]

Willie O'Dea

Question:

321. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all social assistance payments by €5, €10, €15, €20, €25 and €30, respectively, taking into account increases announced in budget 2019 by the name of each payment, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42789/18]

Written answers

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 317, 320 and 321 together.

On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a €5 increase in the maximum rates of all weekly social assistance and social insurance payments, with proportionate increases for those on reduced rates and for qualified adults. Young jobseekers on age-related reduced rates of payment will benefit from the full €5 increase. These weekly rate increases will take effect from the week commencing 25th March 2019.

The estimated full year cost of increasing carer payments by €20 is as follows;

Payment	Cost €million
Carer's Allowance and Benefit (€20 per week)	68.15
Domiciliary Care Allowance (€20 per month)	11.77
Carer's Support Grant (€20 per year)	2.36

The other costings sought by the Deputy are detailed in the following tables:

Cost of varying increases in all weekly social insurance payments

Scheme	Full year cost of a €5 increase	Full year cost of a €10 increase	Full year cost of a €15 increase	Full year cost of a €20 increase	Full year cost of a €25 increase	Full year cost of a €30 increase
Social Insurance Schemes	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m
Pension Payments
State Pension (Contributory)	112.24	224.91	336.90	449.41	561.71	674.24
Widow/er's Contributory Pension (Aged 66 and over)	24.76	49.59	74.35	99.09	123.85	148.61
Deserted Wife's Benefit (Aged 66 and over)	1.53	3.06	4.59	6.11	7.64	9.17
Death Benefit Pension	0.19	0.38	0.58	0.77	0.96	1.15
Working Age Payments
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension	7.74	15.50	23.24	30.98	38.72	46.49
Deserted Wife's Benefit	0.82	1.63	2.45	3.26	4.08	4.90
Invalidity Pension	16.28	32.52	48.80	65.08	81.36	97.60
Partial Capacity Benefit	0.43	0.87	1.30	1.73	2.17	2.60
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)	0.31	0.61	0.92	1.22	1.53	1.83
Disablement Pension	1.29	2.57	3.86	5.14	6.43	7.72
Illness Benefit	13.72	27.48	41.24	54.97	68.70	82.45
Injury Benefit	0.41	0.83	1.24	1.65	2.07	2.48
Incapacity Supplement	0.28	0.56	0.84	1.11	1.39	1.67
Jobseeker's Benefit	8.52	17.05	25.60	34.12	42.64	51.18
Carer's Benefit	0.72	1.44	2.15	2.87	3.59	4.31
Health and Safety Benefit	0.01	0.02	0.04	0.05	0.06	0.07
Maternity & Adoptive Benefit	5.16	10.32	15.48	20.63	25.79	30.95
Paternity Benefit	0.22	0.45	0.67	0.89	1.12	1.34
Total Social Insurance Schemes	194.63	389.79	584.23	779.11	973.81	1,168.75

Cost of varying increases in all weekly social assistance payments

Scheme	Full year cost of a €5 increase	Full year cost of a €10 increase	Full year cost of a €15 increase	Full year cost of a €20 increase	Full year cost of a €25 increase	Full year cost of a €30 increase
Social Assistance Schemes	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m
Pension Payments
State Pension (Non Con)	25.14	50.28	75.42	100.56	125.70	150.83
Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over)	0.45	0.91	1.36	1.82	2.27	2.73
Half Rate Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over)	1.48	2.97	4.45	5.94	7.42	8.91
Working Age Payments
Blind Pension	0.33	0.67	1.00	1.33	1.66	2.00
Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension	0.36	0.72	1.08	1.44	1.79	2.15
Deserted Wife's Allowance	0.02	0.05	0.07	0.10	0.12	0.15
One-Parent Family Payment	10.22	20.45	30.67	40.90	51.12	61.35
Carer's Allowance	11.22	22.45	33.67	44.90	56.12	67.34
Half Rate Carer's Allowance	3.16	6.31	9.47	12.63	15.78	18.94
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)	0.14	0.29	0.43	0.57	0.72	0.86
Jobseeker's Allowance	39.01	78.03	117.21	156.22	195.24	234.25
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 18 to 24 years of age	2.98	5.97	8.95	11.94	14.92	17.91
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 25 years of age	0.45	0.89	1.34	1.79	2.24	2.68
Disability Allowance	40.06	80.12	120.26	160.33	200.39	240.45
Farm Assist	2.17	4.34	6.52	8.69	10.86	13.03
Back to Education Allowance	1.49	2.97	4.46	5.95	7.44	8.93
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance	1.79	3.56	5.36	7.13	8.92	10.69
Community Employment	6.32	12.63	18.96	25.28	31.59	37.91
TÚS	1.95	3.89	5.84	7.79	9.74	11.68
Rural Social Scheme	1.12	2.24	3.36	4.48	5.60	6.72
Job Initiative	0.37	0.74	1.10	1.47	1.84	2.21
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	4.35	8.70	13.07	17.42	21.77	26.12
Total Social Assistance Schemes	154.64	309.26	464.23	618.85	773.49	928.12

The costs shown above are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2019. It should be noted that these costs are subject to change in the context of emerging trends.

It should also be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant.