asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state for each of the years 1948-49, 1949-50 and 1950-51, to the nearest available date, the number of persons who received (a) unemployment assistance; (b) unemployment benefit, and (c) national health insurance benefit, and if he will state further (i) the average weekly rate of benefit, and (ii) the average period over which benefit was paid under (a), (b) and (c) during the above years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance and Insurance Benefits.
As the reply to the Deputy's question is mainly in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
The figures asked for as regards national health insurance are compiled on the basis of calendar years and are as follows:—
|
Year |
Numbers of persons who received Sickness and Disablement Benefit |
Averege weekly rate of Benefit |
Average period over which Benefit was paid |
|
|
(1) |
(2) |
(3) |
(4) |
|
|
s. |
d. |
|||
|
1949 |
85,274 |
15 |
7 |
18 weeks |
|
1950 |
88,990 (b) |
15 |
7(b) |
18.4 ,, |
|
(b) |
(b) Estimated.
Statistics are not available to show the numbers of individuals who received unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance for the years 1948/49, 1949/50 and 1950/51, nor the average period over which benefit or assistance was paid to individuals during the years in question.
Figures are available for the weekly average number of recipients of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance and the weekly average amount of benefit and assistance so paid, and are set out in the following table:—
|
Unemployment Benefit |
Unemployment Assistance |
|||||
|
Year ended 31st March |
Weekly averege No. of recipients |
Weekly average amount of Benefit paid |
Weekly average no. of recipients |
Weekly average amount of assistance paid |
||
|
s. |
d. |
s. |
d. |
|||
|
1949 |
16,782 |
23 |
6 |
38,584 |
15 |
4 |
|
1950 |
15,041 |
23 |
6 |
35,273 |
15 |
3 |
|
1951 |
12,482 |
23 |
6 |
29,744 |
15 |
6 |
|
(up to week ending 20.1.'51) |