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LAST YEAR, JOAN Burton’s Department of Social Protection spent €20.3 billion on social welfare.
This figure was down from the previous year but still represented more than 32% of gross government expenditure and 12.4% of GDP.
Today the department released its annual statistical report on social welfare services, detailing how much was spent on each area and who the 2.2 million people receiving the payments were.
Last year, expenditure on pensions increased by 2.7% to €6.5 billion. Payments were made to over 556,000 people in this area.
As you can see from the graph below, the largest proportion of the budget (31.8%) was spent on pensions, followed by working age income supports like jobseeker’s benefit.
The department spent almost €5.5 billion on these supports, with the bulk of the budget for this spent on Jobseeker’s Allowance.
This represents a decrease of 8.2% on the previous year. Within this, expenditure on Jobseeker’s supports decreased by 3.2% to almost €3.7 billion.
The next largest payment type is the One-parent Family Payment with 78, 346 recipients last year, down 11%.
The department said the payment type with the highest number of recipients is the Back to Education Allowance.
Spending on programmes such as Jobridge and TÚS increased by 4.2% to almost €994 million as a result of higher take-up.
In total, there were over 33, 400 people engaged in employment programmes over the course of last year.
Expenditure on Carer’s Benefit fell by 8.4% to over €22 million. The numbers in receipt of a carer’s payment increased, however, from 53, 847 to 58, 734 – an rise of 9.1%.
The expenditure on Illness Benefit was €648.9 million – a drop of 16.2% on the previous year. Invalidity Pensions cost €707.7 million while Disability Allowance amounted to €1.14 billion in 2013 with 106,279 in receipt of the payment at the end of December.
Some 611,366 families received a monthly Child Benefit payment, which was paid in respect of 1,168,582 children.
As the graph below shows, figures in respect of numbers of child beneficiaries have remained relatively static over the years, with most families claiming for either one or two children.
Family Income Support was paid to 44, 159 families – an increase of 36.7% – and benefitted 98,350 children.
Expenditure on the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, which is intended to contribute towards the cost of children returning to school, was €47.9 million in 2013 and the department also provided €36.7 million for School Meals Programmes during the year.
Expenditure on Household Benefits amounted to over €290.4 million in 2013. Over 782,500 people were in receipt of Free Travel which cost €75 million and Fuel Allowance expenditure in 2013 was €226.7 million, €15.3 million more than in 2012.
Today the department was eager to point out how little it spend on administration:
It also said that the number of pending claims, ie backlogs, fell by 34.8% last year. In total, some 2,062,177 claims were cleared in 2013, of which 1,744, 076 were awarded and the remainder were either disallowed of withdrawn.
The full report from the Department of Social Protection can be found here.
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It’s all a game. He’s playing his own game and cares nothing about the consequences for everyone else.
@Thomas Meaney: His concern is for his people’s jobs and industries. We needed someone like him in Ireland when our sugar production industry and jobs were threatened by imports. Our sugar factories are closed and the jobs gone and only the anti enterprise left who also hate Trump are happy.
@thomas molloy: yes such a crying shame our youth don’t aspire to work in sugar factories after finishing school any more
@thomas molloy:
I’ll ask you again Thomas, since you ignored the question the last time.
If sugar production was such a profitable crop why did 3 separate private companies that tried to restart it all fail?
@thomas molloy: thanks for the laugh and the fantasy story. Trump is looking after 3 things me,myself and I. It’s all about him
@thomas molloy: Hahaha
@thomas molloy: trump doesn’t give a rats about the people. A narcissist, sociopath only cares about themselves.
@P. J.: A valid point. If Trump allows car, truck manufacturer and other industries be destroyed it is almost impossible to get them started again. So you understand Trump’s urgency. Enemies of US also know this and hate Trump. Just listen to Pat Kenny and his comrades.
@thomas molloy: This is a truly moronic take.
Let me quote Derek Thompson of the Atlantic who has a better way of working it than me.
“A policy to grow U.S. manufacturing in areas core to our national interest would be fine. It might involve public subsidies for new manufacturers; a concerted effort to work with friendly trading partners in Europe, Asia, and North America to expand supply chains; and a clearly communicated set of rules to govern trade for the next generation, to encourage billions of dollars of private-sector investment. It might even look a bit like the CHIPS and Science Act. Passed under President Joe Biden, this law authorized hundreds of billions of dollars for the manufacture of high-end computer chips and other science and tech projects that could be central to U.S. national security, including unmanned aerial vehicles, spacecraft, and quantum computing.
The Trump plan, however, manages to achieve the opposite of all of these goals, all at once. Rather than build on the CHIPS and Science Act, Trump has called to destroy it. Rather than build a trade alliance with American allies, he kicked off this whole mess by announcing 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada, alongside threats to conquer and annex the latter. Rather than deepen our supply-chain resilience in Europe to build a bulwark against China, he’s slapped tariffs on European countries without consultation or guidance. Rather than increase confidence in financial markets to encourage long-term investment in U.S. manufacturing, he’s unleashed chaos.
Trump’s policies are burning the very house he intends to save in so many different ways that it’s hard to keep track. “
@thomas molloy: US cars and trucks are 20% American the rest 80% comes from the world. And this is what the Americans wanted , now it’s gone “tits up” they are whinging . They caused their own problems and the world isn’t willing to bail them out and the selling of the bonds and the debasing of the dollar proves that.
@eoin fitzpatrick: no doubt you’re an alphabet cult pushing member
@thomas molloy: Hope lobotomy is going well..
@thomas molloy: delusional much. Even the vehicles that are stamped as being US made get almost all of their components from other countries. That is the model USA have had for years now. If you can’t see that Trump US just manipulating the market you need a white stick
@thomas molloy: nonsense
@thomas molloy:
‘ His concern is for his people’s jobs and industries’
Ahahahahahaha! Lol!
Meanwhile in reality…his concern seems to be further enriching the already rich, stamping on the lower tiers by making life even harder for them and making sure the worlds sex preds feel like they have a friend in the White House. Oh and dodging all those pesky legal cases. The presidency is clearly THE dream job if you’re a crook.
The idea that silver spooned rich kid billionaires are worried about the regular guy and gal is pure comedy. Their only worth is supplying the votes on the way to power and unaccountability. The clue – in case you missed it – is the way he did a complete 180 on making life more affordable for voters. He lied repeatedly on the campaign trail then did what he really wanted once he had power. Sad to watch the con play out, but it was absolutely inevitable.
@thomas molloy: Seriously
@thomas molloy: He literally just admitted to insider trading on his on social platform today.
@thomas molloy: those industries outsourced to increase profits. To try and bring all those factories back, to train the staff etc would take years and they couldn’t afford to do that. US workers cost a lot more.
Pat Kenny is politically right of center, the idea of him having “comrades” is hilarious. The Dalkey cell of the Irish Communist Party
It was the plan all along.. it was just a grift / swindle on a global scale. By announcing the tariffs he caused the stock markets to drop rapidly then posted on his platform yesterday morning that it was a “great time to buy”… and a few hours later announced a pause on the tariffs which caused a market rebound making those who bought lower priced shares a huge amount of money.
All this was stock market manipulation!!
@Chris Foley: Any trader not keeping an eye on major platforms is asleep or negligent. A public announcement is a PUBLIC announcement. Sorry if you don’t understand modern free market economics.
@Chris Foley: That’s just a by-product.
It’s a shakedown to other countries but he chickened out when he the Bond Markets practically collapsed.
“Start a pointless, globe-encompassing trade war, rationalized solely by your own boneheaded innumeracy. Step two: Tank the markets. Step three: Pare the war back to a hot conflict with one of the United States’ most important trading partners and a warm conflict with every other country on Earth. Step four: Watch the market rebound and declare victory. ”
Who the hell can trust what these lunatics are going to do going forward?
“What has the country gotten for all of this chaos? Nothing. Trump tarnished the United States’ long-standing trading relationships and boosted the cost of imports, and evidently won zero concessions in return.”
@Tricia G28: . Exactly. Well said.
@thomas molloy: you really are thick
@Tricia G28: Spot on
@thomas molloy: you clearly have no clue about free market economics or how it works. You also clearly have no understanding of capitalism or why globalism is an unavoidable and necessary result of it, particularly for a Hegemony that has embraced it utterly to the expense of all else. All Trump has succeeded in doing is to further weaken US strength and influence and to further strengthen China’s influence in Asia Pacific. Irrespective of Trump U turns, countries, corporations and investors will look to protect their profits by broadening the markets they do business in and further weaken and dilute US economic dominance. He couldn’t have been more idiotic if he tried.
@Chris Foley: now is the time for the EU to impose huge tarrifs on the US . We’d see Trump grovelling for a deal in no time as the US can’t afford rising costs on the bond market. Trump by his stupidity has left America exposed to bankruptcy and the EU and the rest of the world should unite and teach the clown a economic and diplomatic lesson.
Because A, he was about to blow up US Bonds, B, China retaliating meant he knew he couldn’t take on China and the rest and C, he’s running a country like a business and you can’t do that because people bite back (inflation, pensions etc). As an aside how he is getting away with blatant market manipulation is a clear indication that fundamentally the whole thing is designed to keep the elite….the elite, gangsters.
@Eddie Garvey: He gets away with it because he’s sacked everyone in the Securities and Exchange Commission and replaced them with his own cronies.
@Eddie Garvey: no real business would be or is run like this. He’s not even close to running it like a business
@Gerard Smith: well, he just runs it like the other Trump businesses: into the ground. This’ll be his Biggest Bankruptsy Ever. Bigly.
And all these individual state deals he’s theoretically going to make, 50, 70 countries or what ever he’s imagined … they don’t have the personnel at ports etc. anyway. He remains as deluded and as dishonest as he’s always been. The grift continues…
@Jack Hayes: the penguins of Norfolk Island will never do a trade deal with Trump
Simply because all he wants is to be the centre of attention!! He doesn’t actually care about anything else.
@Caroline Urch: grow up for phucks sake.
@Eric Gaffney: Trump is a narcissist. They have to be the centre of attention.
Bottler
Trump is afraid that penguins might retaliate of his senseless tariffs.
@Bomber: why do we have tariffs and USA none I can buy a pair of levies in NY for 35$ , same jeans here 90 euro ?
Stock market scam for him and his buddies.
@michael powell: Talking of scams, no mention of our Travelling cultural ambassador who is arrested in NY for $1 million fraud in a buildings repair racket
Does this mean I can continue exporting fentanyl to the US for the next 3 months?
Insider trading he should be in jail
It reminds me of a nutjob stabbing you, then putting a plaster on you and saying how wonderful he is.
The damage is done. Liquidation Day has become Liquidation Quarter. 90 days gives investors time to ditch American shares, bonds etc in an orderly fashion. Canada / Japan / EU / UK a better bet for investment now. All open to trade. All stable. When best to liquidate and where to go – the big question for every investor now. Good luck to Irish pension funds!
So rather than thank Trump for forbearance the =+-=+-=S want to wallow in another negative bunker.
@thomas molloy: so in your world, you “thank” the bully when they “pause” beating you up? Interesting take on matters.
@thomas molloy: That’s hilarious he had coal miners in the White house either Monday or Tuesday saying the tariffs were ” 2bn a day” and he was going to use that money to create more coal mines and jobs. And this was before the majority of the tariffs had come into force.
So what now for the coal workers or indeed any blue collar worker in the US? You mentioned Hyundai in another post and they will be producing ” low carbon steel and aluminium ” and the plant will be almost fully automated and run 100% electricity…..I suppose the steel workers of America will rejoice but their skills probably won’t be needed.
@Paul O’Mahoney: he had the car makers unions in as well. While they were in the WH. Their employer announced shutdowns due to the tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
As US stocks liquidate and investment flows elsewhere, the dollar will drop. Hence eventually it will become possible to manufacture in the US and export – foreign buyers will have stronger currencies. The end of US hegemony.
The fool managed to decimate my pension
He didn’t blink. Trump planned stock market crash with ridiculous tarrifs. He and business buddies buy the deprecated stock shares at bargain price. Trump abandons tariffs for 90 days, the market responds instantly, “all right lads sell your recently bought shares as quick as possible”
Remember last time when he was in and the media reported on his every move and action? Yeah, 4 years of utter nonsense fear talk from the media
Oh but this time it’s different is it???
No it’s not.Dont worry about the nonsense because feck all will change.
It’s just the media stoking the small fires once more.Enjoy the great weather,enjoy your life.Cheers.
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