Social Welfare Rates

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018

Tuesday, 24 July 2018

Ceisteanna (2465, 2466, 2467, 2468, 2469, 2470, 2471, 2472, 2473, 2474, 2475)

John Brady

Ceist:

2465. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the disability allowance by €5. [33127/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2466. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the carer's allowance by €5. [33128/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2467. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing carer's benefit by €5. [33129/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2468. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the blind pension by €5. [33130/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2469. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the one parent family payment by €5. [33131/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2470. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the invalidity pension by €5. [33132/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2471. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the working family payment by 5%. [33133/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2472. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing all jobseeker's payments for those aged 18 to 25 years of age by €30. [33134/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2473. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing jobseeker’s allowance, jobseeker’s benefit, supplementary welfare allowance and farm assist by €5. [33135/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2474. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of extending the fuel allowance by four weeks. [33136/18]

John Brady

Ceist:

2475. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the State pension by €5. [33137/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2465 to and 2475, inclusive, together.

The full year cost of increasing the weekly rates of the payments by €5 per week, as requested by the Deputy, is set out in the following table:

Scheme	Full year cost of €5 per week increase (millions)
Disability Allowance	€39.67
Carer’s Allowance	€16.68
Carer’s Benefit	€0.71
Blind Pension	€0.34
One Parent Family Payment	€10.17
Invalidity Pension	€17.04
Jobseeker’s Allowance	€43.1
Jobseeker’s Benefit	€8.56
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	€4.57
Farm Assist	€2.33
State Pension Contributory	€110.51
State Pension Non-Contributory	€25.14
Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension	€22.24
Death Benefit Pension (aged 66 and over)	€0.18
Deserted Wife’s Benefit (aged 66 and over)	€0.58
Carer’s Allowance (aged 66 and over)	€2.23

It should be noted that all of the costings above, unless otherwise stated, include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant. In addition in the case of jobseeker’s allowance the cost includes the full €5 increase for jobseeker’s allowance recipients on age related reduced rates. This cost also provides the full €5 per week increase for qualified adults on the €107.70 weekly rate.

The full year cost of increasing expenditure on the working family payment by 5% would be €21.6 million in 2019, based on the 2018 Revised Estimates allocation of €431.3 million.

The full year cost of increasing the weekly rate of jobseeker’s allowance for those aged 18 to 25 years of age by €30 per week is €29 million in 2019. This includes the cost of increasing the weekly increase for qualified adults on the €107.70 rate up the maximum weekly increase for a qualified adult rate of €131.40 per week.

The full year cost of extending the duration of the fuel allowance season by four weeks, from 27 weeks to 31 weeks, is €34.32 million.

It should be noted that all of these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019.