Vol. 426 No. 1
16 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons in receipt of old age pensions in the first week of January in each of the ten years 1984 to 1993 inclusive; the estimated numbers expected to claim old age pension in the first week of January in each of the ten years 1994/2003 inclusive; if he will give details of the other policy implications, if any, there are arising from these estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The number of recipients of old age pensions in January of each year from 1984 to 1993 is set out in the form of a tabular statement which I will make available to the Deputy. As the Deputy will see from this table, during that period the number of people in receipt of an old age contributory pension, an old age non-contributory pension or a retirement pension rose from 232,987 in 1984 to 241,451 in 1993.
Projected figures of new claimants for each year between 1994 and 2003 are not available. However, the projected number of pensioners in the years 2001 and 2011 are as follows: 2001 — 245,000; 2011 — 282,000.
The National Pensions Board which was established in 1986 is currently finalising its proposals for its final report concerning the development of a new national pensions system. The board's report will deal with all aspects relating to pensions including pensions provision for the coming decades. I expect to receive the report shortly. The matter will be considered further in the light of the recommendations contained in this report.
The following is the tabular statement:
The numbers of recipients of old age pensions in January of each year from 1984 to 1993.
|
Year |
Old Age Contributory Pension |
Retirement Pension |
Old Age Non-contributory Pension |
Total |
|
1984 |
71,671 |
32,778 |
128,538 |
232,987 |
|
1985 |
72,354 |
33,870 |
128,270 |
234,494 |
|
1986 |
72,973 |
35,919 |
126,058 |
234,950 |
|
1987 |
73,905 |
37,904 |
124,913 |
236,722 |
|
1988 |
74,725 |
40,489 |
124,419 |
239,633 |
|
1989 |
74,990 |
42,779 |
122,681 |
240,450 |
|
1990 |
75,195 |
45,412 |
120,632 |
241,239 |
|
1991 |
74,470 |
48,475 |
118,223 |
241,168 |
|
1992 |
72,764 |
52,236 |
115,950 |
240,950 |
|
1993 |
72,711 |
55,185 |
113,555 |
241,451 |
17 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to maintain the disqualification from unemployment benefit for those under 55 with severance payments above a fixed level as introduced by the previous Minister for Social Welfare.
With effect from July 1992, the circumstances in which an applicant may be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit for a number of weeks were broadened to include persons who, on termination of employment, receive severance payments in excess of a prescribed amount.
This measure was considered necessary to counter situations where the social insurance fund could, in effect, be used as a top-up for substantial redundancy packages which, in some cases, also involved seasonal work for fixed periods in subsequent years.
The present position is that a person receiving a redundancy payment of more than £12,000 may be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit for up to nine weeks and the overall duration of entitlement to that benefit of 15 months is reduced accordingly.
As I have already indicated, it is my intention to have the policy measures introduced last year reviewed with particular reference to their impact on certain categories of social welfare recipients. Any decision relating to these measures would have financial implications which would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
