asked the Minister for social welfare the number of social welfare recipients in each category for the past five years; and the percentage change in each category for each year.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Recipients.
The information requested by the Deputy is given in the following table.
Number of persons in receipt of weekly Social Insurance or Assistance Payments at December of each year.
Type of payment |
1984 |
1985 |
% change 1985-84 |
1986 |
% change 1986/85 |
1987 |
% change 1987/86 |
1988* |
% change 1988-87 |
Old Age Contributory Pension |
72,354 |
72,973 |
0.9 |
73,905 |
1.3 |
74,725 |
1.1 |
74,996 |
0.4 |
Old Age Non-Contributory Pension |
128,270 |
126,058 |
-1.7 |
124,913 |
-0.9 |
124,419 |
-0.4 |
122,761 |
-1.3 |
Retirement Pension |
33,870 |
35,919 |
6.0 |
37,904 |
5.5 |
40,489 |
6.8 |
39,710 |
-1.9 |
Invalidity Pension |
21,981 |
24,229 |
10.2 |
26,107 |
7.8 |
28,415 |
8.8 |
29,242 |
2.9 |
Disability Benefit† |
76,379 |
82,914 |
8.6 |
83,338 |
0.5 |
68,446 |
N/A |
59,450 |
-13.1 |
Widow's Contributory Pension |
76,193 |
78,815 |
3.4 |
79,826 |
1.3 |
81,144 |
1.7 |
82,167 |
1.3 |
Widow's Non-Contributory Pension |
15,413 |
16,509 |
7.1 |
17,320 |
4.9 |
18,060 |
4.3 |
18,548 |
2.7 |
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
4,403 |
5,165 |
17.3 |
6,165 |
19.4 |
7,302 |
18.4 |
8,492 |
16.3 |
Deserted Wife's Allowance |
3,653 |
3,965 |
8.5 |
4,445 |
12.1 |
4,870 |
9.6 |
5,125 |
5.2 |
Unmarried Mother's Allowance |
10,309 |
11,530 |
11.8 |
12,039 |
4.4 |
13,930 |
15.7 |
15,062 |
8.1 |
Prisoner's Wife's Allowance |
256 |
260 |
1.6 |
276 |
6.2 |
262 |
-5.1 |
218 |
-16.8 |
Single Women's Allowance |
2,913 |
2,684 |
-7.9 |
2,558 |
-4.7 |
2,574 |
0.6 |
2,490 |
-3.3 |
Orphan's Contributory Allowance |
855 |
798 |
-6.7 |
751 |
-5.9 |
725 |
-3.5 |
714 |
-1.5 |
Orphan's Non-Contributory Pension |
196 |
174 |
-11.2 |
183 |
5.2 |
169 |
-7.7 |
149 |
-11.8 |
Maternity Benefit |
4,530 |
4,085 |
-9.8 |
4,714 |
15.4 |
5,133 |
8.9 |
3,705 |
-27.8 |
Unemployment Benefit |
91,606 |
89,219 |
-2.6 |
87,668 |
-1.7 |
84,604 |
-3.5 |
77,786 |
-8.1 |
Unemployment Assistance |
130,246 |
136,983 |
5.2 |
146,016 |
6.6 |
153,591 |
5.2 |
163,891 |
6.7 |
Supplementary Welfare Allowance‡‡ |
20,504 |
21,341 |
4.1 |
22,644 |
6.1 |
11,774 |
N/A |
13,861 |
17.7 |
Family Income Supplement** |
1,424 |
4,664 |
227.5 |
4,947 |
6.1 |
5,532 |
11.8 |
5,159 |
-6.7 |
Rent Allowance |
1,256 |
1,362 |
8.4 |
1,348 |
-1.0 |
1,285 |
-4.7 |
1,231 |
-4.2 |
Notes:
N/A—Not Applicable.
* Provisional.
† Figures prior to 1987 include persons on the DB system but who were not actually in payment at that point in time. Figures for 1987 and 1988 ar therefore, not comparable with those for preceding years.
‡‡From 1987 onwards, there was a change in classification of SWA payments and the post 1986 figures refer to persons on basic weekly pa only.
**The Family Income Supplement Scheme was introduced in September 1984.
Source: Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services 1987 and previous reports.