(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of extending the additional social assistance payments in this year's Budget to social assistance recipients with means, subject to the pre-Budget provisions in respect of means tests for the basic social assistance payments.
Written Answers. - Cost of Additional Social Welfare Payments.
33.
The extra cost in a full year of extending to recipients with means the increases provided for in this year's Budget for recipients of non-contributory old age, blind and widows' pensions and of unemployment assistance who have no means is estimated at £1,754,500, made up of £1,190,000 for old age and blind pensions, £201,500 for widows' pensions and £363,000 for unemployment assistance.
34.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of extending the 10/- increase in non-contributory old age, blind and widows' pensions in the 1965 Budget to pensioners whose means exceed £26 per year but subject to the normal means test provisions in respect of the basic non-contributory pensions as they existed prior to the 1965 Budget.
£530,000.
35.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of eliminating the means test in respect of non-contributory widows' pensions.
It is estimated that the cost, in a full year, of eliminating the means test in respect of non-contributory widows' pensions would be in the region of £2,000,000.
36.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limit for widows' pensions.
It is estimated that the cost, in a full year, of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limits for widows' non-contributory pensions would be in the region of £200,000.
37.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of eliminating the means test provision in respect of non-contributory orphans' pensions.
It is estimated that the cost, in a full year, of eliminating the means test provision in respect of non-contributory orphans' pensions would be in the region of £10,000.
38.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limits for orphans' non-contributory pensions.
It is estimated that the cost, in a full year, of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limits for orphans' non-contributory pensions would be in the region of £2,500.
39.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of eliminating the means test provision in respect of old-age non-contributory pensions.
It is estimated that the cost in a full year of abolishing the means test in respect of non-contributory old age pensions at the rates proposed in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1966, would be of the order of £7¼ millions.
40.
(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated cost in a full year of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limits in respect of non-contributory old age pensions.
The estimated cost of increasing by 50 per cent the means test limits of each category of existing non-contributory old age pensions is £420,000 in respect of current recipients.
Additional expenditure would be involved in respect of persons who do not at present qualify for pensions but there is no information as to the numbers who might so qualify.