Vol. 494 No. 6
119 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of social welfare claimants for each of the past five years whose weekly payments were less than rates set by the Commission on Social Welfare in 1986; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19012/98]
The number of recipients for each of the past five years, whose payments were less than main rate recommended by the
Commission on Social Welfare is illustrated in Table 1 below.
Significant progress was made in the 1998 budget towards achieving and exceeding the target rates set by the commission. The budget, in addition to providing for a general increase of £3 per week, provided for an increase of £5 per week for all pensioners. As a result, payments to over 797,900 recipients (93.5 per cent) are about or above the minimum CSW rates and payments to a further 57,000 recipients (6.5 per cent) of supplementary welfare allowance and short term unemployment assistance are still about 3 per cent below the target rate.
The question of further increases in social welfare payments will be considered by Government in a budgetary context in the light of available resources and having regard to, the commitments contained in the Government programme, An Action Programme for the Millennium, Partnership 2000 and the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.
Table 1
|
Year (31 December) |
Recipients |
|
1994 |
665,000 |
|
1995 |
679,000 |
|
1996 |
561,000 |
|
1997 |
490,000 |
|
1998 |
57,000* |
