Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
209. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider changing the criteria regarding the living alone allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42020/23]
View answerPrimary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments, both cash and non-cash, on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature.
The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment in itself, but rather it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week, for those who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.
For those aged 66 or over, qualifying payments for the Living Alone Increase include 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 and Deserted Wife's Benefit. This is in recognition of the fact that the Central Statistics Office “Statistics on Income and Living Conditions” (SILC) data indicates that those who are aged 65 years and over are more likely to be at risk of poverty, deprivation and consistent poverty if they live alone.
You will also qualify if you are under 66, live alone and are getting Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.
Consequently, an individual over 66 who is living alone and in receipt of Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension, or Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension, will receive the living alone increase.
There are no circumstances where the Living Alone Increase can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment from my Department. Any decision to allow those who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment to receive the Living Alone Increase - and thereby establish it as a primary scheme - would have budgetary and administrative consequences and would have to be considered in the context of Budget negotiations.
Similarly, any decision to make the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) or Pension, or the Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension, qualifying payments for the Living Alone Increase for those under 66 would need to be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
