I propose to take Questions Nos. 501, 515, 516, 518, 519, 523, 524, 527 and 528 together.
The costings sought by Deputy Rabbitte and Deputy O’Dea are detailed in the following series of tables.
Table 1: Cost of increasing the Child Benefit by varying amounts
Monthly Increase
|
Cost
€m
|
Monthly Increase
|
Cost
€m
|
€1.00
|
14.60
|
€11.00
|
160.65
|
€2.00
|
29.21
|
€12.00
|
175.25
|
€3.00
|
43.81
|
€13.00
|
189.85
|
€4.00
|
58.42
|
€14.00
|
204.46
|
€5.00
|
73.02
|
€15.00
|
219.06
|
€6.00
|
87.62
|
€20.00
|
292.08
|
€7.00
|
102.23
|
€25.00
|
365.10
|
€8.00
|
116.83
|
|
|
€9.00
|
131.44
|
|
|
€10.00
|
146.04
|
|
|
Table 2: Cost of varying amounts in all weekly social insurance payments
Scheme
|
Full year cost of a €5 increase
|
Full year cost of a €10 increase
|
Full year cost of a €15 increase
|
Full year cost of a €20 increase
|
Full year cost of a €25 increase
|
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
Social Insurance Schemes
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension Payments
|
|
|
|
|
|
State Pension (Contributory)
|
102.29
|
204.58
|
306.87
|
409.16
|
511.45
|
Widow/er's Contributory Pension (Aged 66 and over)
|
21.04
|
42.08
|
63.12
|
84.16
|
105.2
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit (Aged 66 and over)
|
0.58
|
1.16
|
1.74
|
2.32
|
2.9
|
Death Benefit Pension (Aged 66 and over)
|
0.18
|
0.36
|
0.54
|
0.72
|
0.9
|
Working Age Payments
|
|
|
|
|
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Con) Pension
|
7.57
|
15.14
|
22.71
|
30.28
|
37.85
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit
|
1.08
|
2.16
|
3.24
|
4.32
|
5.4
|
Invalidity Pension
|
17.15
|
34.3
|
51.45
|
68.6
|
85.75
|
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
|
0.27
|
0.54
|
0.81
|
1.08
|
1.35
|
Disablement Pension
|
1.25
|
2.5
|
3.75
|
5
|
6.25
|
Illness Benefit
|
14.43
|
28.86
|
43.29
|
57.72
|
72.15
|
Injury Benefit
|
0.42
|
0.84
|
1.26
|
1.68
|
2.1
|
Incapacity Supplement
|
0.28
|
0.56
|
0.84
|
1.12
|
1.4
|
Jobseeker's Benefit
|
8.55
|
17.1
|
25.65
|
34.2
|
42.75
|
Carer's Benefit
|
0.74
|
1.48
|
2.22
|
2.96
|
3.7
|
Health and Safety Benefit
|
0.01
|
0.02
|
0.03
|
0.04
|
0.05
|
Maternity & Adoptive Benefit
|
5.16
|
10.32
|
15.48
|
20.64
|
25.8
|
Paternity Benefit
|
0.26
|
0.52
|
0.78
|
1.04
|
1.3
|
Total Social Insurance Schemes
|
181.26
|
362.52
|
543.78
|
725.04
|
906.3
|
Table 3: Cost of varying amounts in all weekly social assistance payments
Scheme
|
Full year cost of a €5 increase
|
Full year cost of a €10 increase
|
Full year cost of a €15 increase
|
Full year cost of a €20 increase
|
Full year cost of a €25 increase
|
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
€m
|
Social Assistance Schemes
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pension Payments
|
|
|
|
|
|
State Pension (Non Con)
|
25.15
|
50.3
|
75.45
|
100.6
|
125.75
|
Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over)
|
0.63
|
1.26
|
1.89
|
2.52
|
3.15
|
Half Rate Carer's Allowance (Aged 66 and over)
|
1.51
|
3.02
|
4.53
|
6.04
|
7.55
|
Working Age Payments
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blind Pension
|
0.34
|
0.68
|
1.02
|
1.36
|
1.7
|
Widow/ers or Surviving Civil Partner's (Non-Con) Pension
|
0.36
|
0.72
|
1.08
|
1.44
|
1.8
|
Deserted Wife's Allowance
|
0.03
|
0.06
|
0.09
|
0.12
|
0.15
|
One-Parent Family Payment
|
10.1
|
20.2
|
30.3
|
40.4
|
50.5
|
Carer's Allowance
|
10.88
|
21.76
|
32.64
|
43.52
|
54.4
|
Half Rate Carer's Allowance
|
2.98
|
5.96
|
8.94
|
11.92
|
14.9
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Contributory)
|
0.13
|
0.26
|
0.39
|
0.52
|
0.65
|
Jobseeker's Allowance
|
44.88
|
89.76
|
134.64
|
179.52
|
224.4
|
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 18 to 24 years of age
|
2.63
|
5.26
|
7.89
|
10.52
|
13.15
|
Jobseeker's Allowance - for those aged 25 years of age
|
0.65
|
1.3
|
1.95
|
2.6
|
3.25
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance
|
0.04
|
0.08
|
0.12
|
0.16
|
0.2
|
Disability Allowance
|
37.54
|
75.08
|
112.62
|
150.16
|
187.7
|
Farm Assist
|
2.34
|
4.68
|
7.02
|
9.36
|
11.7
|
Back to Education Allowance
|
2.48
|
4.96
|
7.44
|
9.92
|
12.4
|
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
|
2.78
|
5.56
|
8.34
|
11.12
|
13.9
|
Community Employment Programme
|
6.07
|
12.14
|
18.21
|
24.28
|
30.35
|
TÚS - Community Work Placement Initiative
|
1.89
|
3.78
|
5.67
|
7.56
|
9.45
|
Rural Social Scheme
|
0.99
|
1.98
|
2.97
|
3.96
|
4.95
|
Gateway
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance
|
4.7
|
9.4
|
14.1
|
18.8
|
23.5
|
Total Social Assistance Schemes
|
159.1
|
318.2
|
477.3
|
636.4
|
795.5
|
Table 4: Cost of increasing the Living Alone Allowance by varying amounts
Weekly Increase
|
Cost
€m
|
€2.00
|
20.87
|
€3.00
|
31.31
|
€4.00
|
41.74
|
€5.00
|
52.18
|
€6.00
|
62.61
|
€7.00
|
73.05
|
€8.00
|
83.48
|
€9.00
|
93.92
|
€10.00
|
104.35
|
Table 5: Cost of increasing the duration of the Fuel Allowance by varying numbers of weeks
Number of weeks
|
Cost in 2018
€m
|
1 week
|
8.58
|
2 weeks
|
17.16
|
3 weeks
|
25.74
|
4 weeks
|
34.32
|
5 weeks
|
42.90
|
6 weeks
|
51.47
|
Table 6: Cost of increasing Family Income Supplement (FIS) by varying amounts
Increase in weekly threshold
|
Cost in 2018
€m
|
€5.00
|
20.70
|
€10.00
|
42.30
|
€15.00
|
66.00
|
€20.00
|
87.60
|
€25.00
|
110.70
|
Table 7: Cost of increasing the Carer’s Support Grant by varying amounts
Annual Increase
|
Cost in 2018
€m
|
€50.00
|
5.63
|
€100.00
|
11.26
|
€150.00
|
16.89
|
€200.00
|
22.53
|
€250.00
|
28.16
|
Table 8: Cost of Increasing the monthly electricity allowance and the natural gas allowance by varying amounts
|
|
|
|
Monthly Natural Gas Allowance
|
|
Monthly Increase
|
Cost
€m
|
Monthly Increase
|
Cost
€m
|
|
€5.00
|
23.30
|
€5.00
|
2.84
|
|
€10.00
|
46.61
|
€10.00
|
5.70
|
The costs shown above are on a full year basis and assume that, where relevant, each increase is implemented from the beginning of January. It should also be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant. These costings are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2018.