Tony Gregory
Ceist:186 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the percentage of the adult population currently claiming social welfare payments. [14660/96]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The latest information on population size is contained in the 1995 labour force survey, which was published by the CSO in May 1996. From this, the adult population, taken to be those aged 18 years and over, is estimated at 2,503,000 people.
The number of recipients of weekly social welfare payments at the end of March 1995 (the time when the LFS survey was conducted) was approximately 828,000, comprising those in receipt of the following payments:
|
Unemployment |
270,124 |
|
Old age |
252,599 |
|
Family income support |
210,628 |
|
Illness |
94,646 |
|
Total |
827,997 |
The percentage of the adult population in receipt of a weekly social welfare payment is estimted at 33 per cent. This figure would include some small element of double counting as a person could be in receipt of more than one payment.
Tony Gregory
Ceist:187 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount paid out by the health boards in rent allowances in respect of the first half of 1996. [14661/96]
The details on expenditure for rent supplements are only available for the first quarter of the current year. The available information is set out in the attached tabular statement. I will provide the Deputy with the amounts paid out in respect of the first half of 1996 as soon as the information is available, which should be in September 1996.
|
Health Board |
Cases |
Expenditure |
|
£ |
||
|
Eastern |
21,282 |
7,960,280.90 |
|
Midland |
1,837 |
485,750.18 |
|
Mid West |
2,900 |
529,763.92 |
|
North East |
1,925 |
681,454.34 |
|
North West* |
1,837 |
485,750.18 |
|
Southern |
3,827 |
1,010,890.88 |
|
South East |
3,045 |
784,302.66 |
|
Western |
5,377 |
1,546,716.50 |
|
Total |
42,030 |
13,484,909.56 |
* Estimated.