Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2023
425. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes introduced to the living alone allowance since 27 June 2020; and if she will detail the number of recipients, by county, benefitting from these changes, in tabular form. [31140/23]
View answerThe Living Alone Increase is paid to people aged 66 and over, who live alone and are in receipt of certain social welfare payments: the State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory); Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension; Widow's/Widower's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme; Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme or Deserted Wife's Benefit or Allowance.
The Increase is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of the following social welfare payments: Disability Allowance; Invalidity Pension; Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.
The Living Alone Increase has increased from €9 in 2019 to €22 in 2022. It rose from €9 to €14 per week in January 2020; from €14 to €19 per week in January 2021 and from €19 to €22 per week in January 2022.
In addition, those in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance received a once-off lump sum payment of €200 in the week of 14 November 2022. This cost €46 million and 191,800 pensioners and 42,200 working age recipients benefited, which is a total of 234,000 beneficiaries.
The breakdown requested may be found in the Department's Statistical Reports for each year as follows:
• Page 79 of the Department's Annual Statistics Report for 2020 at www.gov.ie/en/publication/802ec-2020-annual-statistics-report/
• Page 83 of the Department's Annual Statistics Report for 2021 at www.gov.ie/en/publication/9262a-2021-annual-statistics-report/
The Department's Annual Statistics Report for 2022 will be published shortly.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
