asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will indicate the total amounts paid from 1st November, 1975, to 31st October, 1976, in respect of each of the following: (a) social insurance—disability benefit, invalidity pension, marriage grant, maternity allowance, maternity grant, treatment benefit, old age contributory pension, retirement pension, unemployment benefit, widows' contributory pension and orphans' contributory allowance, deserted wife's benefit, death grant and pay-related benefit and (b) social assistance—old age pension, non-contributory, children's allowances, unemployment assistance, widows' and orphans' non-contributory pension, deserted wives' allowances, unmarried mothers' allowances, prisoners' wives' allowances, single women's allowances and miscellaneous grants.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Statistics.
As the period from 1st November, 1975, to 31st October, 1976, is not an accounting period for the Department, the information is not available in the form requested by the Deputy. Following, however, is the estimated expenditure for the current financial year ending on 31st December:
(a) Social Insurance:
|
£ |
|
|
disability benefit |
52,230,000 |
|
invalidity pension |
8,870,000 |
|
marraige grant |
1,000 |
|
maternity allowance |
2,110,000 |
|
maternity grant |
203,000 |
|
treatment benefit |
3,100,000 |
|
old age (contributory) pension |
45,400,000 |
|
retirement pension |
20,650,000 |
|
unemployment benefit |
44,310,000 |
|
widows' (contributory) pension and orphans' contributory allowance |
40,300,000 |
|
deserted wife's benefit |
1,450,000 |
|
death grant |
200,000 |
|
pay-related benefit |
14,400,000 |
(b) Social Assistance:
|
£ |
|
|
old age pension (non-contributory) |
73,590,000 |
|
children's allowances |
47,000,000 |
|
unemployment assistance |
50,000,000 |
|
widows' and orphans' (non-contributory) pension |
7,800,000 |
|
deserted wives' allowances |
2,254,000 |
|
unmarried mothers' allowances |
2,340,000 |
|
prisoners' wives' allowances |
140,000 |
|
single women's allowances |
1,265,000 |
|
miscellaneous grants |
10,150,000 |
51.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state in respect of each of the following the additional cost in a full year of increasing each benefit by 20 per cent showing separately the breakdown of the total cost as between employer, employee and the Exchequer: (a) social insurance—disability benefit, invalidity pension, marriage grant, maternity allowance, maternity grant, treatment benefit, old age contributory pension, retirement pension, unemployment benefit, widow's contributory pension and orphans' contributory allowance, deserted wife's benefit, death grant and pay-related benefit and (b) social assistance— old age pension, non-contributory, children's allowances, unemployment assistance, widow's and orphans' non-contributory pension, deserted wives' allowances, unmarried mothers' allowances, prisoners' wives' allowances, single women's allowances and miscellaneous grants.
The estimated additional cost in a full year of increasing the rates of social insurance and social assistance payments by 20 per cent is as follows:—
(a) Social Insurance:
|
Estimated additional cost in full year of 20 per cent increase |
|
|
£ |
|
|
disability benefit |
9,610,000 |
|
invalidity pension |
1,920,000 |
|
maternity allowance |
440,000 |
|
maternity grant |
40,000 |
|
old age (contributory) pension |
9,050,000 |
|
retirement pension |
4,690,000 |
|
unemployment benefit |
9,850,000 |
|
widow's (contributory) pension |
8,620,000 |
|
orphan's (contributory) allowance |
70,000 |
|
deserted wife's benefit |
370,000 |
|
death grant |
40,000 |
|
£44,700,000 |
(b) Social Assistance:
|
£ |
|
|
old age pension (non-contributory) |
15,800,000 |
|
children's allowances |
9,000,000 |
|
unemployment assistance |
12,550,000 |
|
widows' and orphans' (non-contributory) pension |
1,680,000 |
|
deserted wives' allowances |
500,000 |
|
unmarried mothers' allowances |
580,000 |
|
prisoners' wives' allowances |
40,000 |
|
single women's allowances |
350,000 |
|
Total |
£40,500,000 |
Expenditure on the social assistance schemes is normally borne in full by the Exchequer. The break-down of any additional expenditure on social insurance schemes between employer, employee and Exchequer would be directly proportional to the share of the cost which each would be required to bear.
A 20 per cent increase has not been calculated in respect of treatment benefit, pay-related benefit and miscellaneous grants as they are not in the same category as the other payments and percentage increases would not be the appropriate method of improving them. As marriage grants were terminated in October, 1973, a percentage increase could not be applied to that scheme.