Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 31 Jan 1996

Vol. 460 No. 7

Written Answers - Social Welfare Payments.

Noel Ahern

Ceist:

92 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of families receiving social welfare payments including unemployment invalidity, disability and so on which exceed 75 per cent of the average take home industrial pay; and the number sub-divided for various income payment bands. [2164/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The latest data published by the Central Statistics Office on industrial earnings show average industrial gross earnings in March 1995 were £306.40 per week for males and £194.74 per week for females. The overall average was £267.52 per week.

Data is not available on average take home pay as an individual's nett earnings depend on their family and other circumstances. It is estimated, however, that relatively few people wholly dependent on the weekly social welfare payments, such as unemployment benefit or assistance, disability benefit or invalidity pension, are in receipt of social welfare payments in excess of 75 per cent of pay, whether it be gross or nett. Such instances would be confined to couples with large families.

For example, a couple on long-term unemployment assistance with six children are entitled to a maximum of £179.20 per week which represents about 58 per cent of average male gross industrial earnings. Families of that size or greater comprise fewer than 2 per cent of those in receipt of weekly unemployment payments from my Department.