Ivor Callely
Ceist:98 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of people in receipt of a welfare payment; the average payment per person per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [88233/95]
Written Answers. - Total Welfare Recipients.
At end December 1994 weekly social welfare payments were being made in respect of approximately 823,000 recipients and their 624,000 adult and child dependants.
In addition child benefit was paid to 482,600 families in respect of 1,055,200 children in December 1994. The average child benefit payment to families was £46 per month, equivalent to £10.50 per week.
Total expenditure in 1994, excluding expenditure on non-weekly payments such as child benefit, treatment benefits — dental and optical — administration, equal treatment arrears and other miscellaneous payments, amounted to £3,275 million. It is estimated, therefore, that the average payment per recipient of a weekly payment in 1994 was £77 including secondary benefits, i.e. free schemes, and £74 excluding secondary benefits.
The average payment per person per week varies considerably across the various schemes administered by my Department. For example, the average payment — excluding secondary benefits — for the lone parent's allowance scheme at December 1994 was £83 whereas the average payment for family income supplement was £38.