Social Welfare Payments

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

Questions (599)

Carol Nolan

Question:

599. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 370 of 26 September 2023, No. 465 of 11 June 2024 and No. 1175 of 4 November 2025, to address the information given in to the earlier questions which showed totals of 26,733 and 20,287 people respectively; whether it is in fact possible that this number could have since fallen to just 231 as stated in the recent response; to clarify the accuracy of the information given in each of these responses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65587/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The figure of 231 given for PQ No. 1175 of 4 November 2025 represents the count of individuals who commenced their claim in December 2019, and who were in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance continuously through to the end of October 2025. Including any claims which had commenced prior to December 2019, a total of 2,022 individuals remained on the Live Register in continuous receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance to the end of October 2025.

As stated in the replies to the other questions referenced by the Deputy, those numbers included periods of time where a claim may have been suspended, or a payment otherwise did not issue. The variation between those figures and the new figures produced for the Deputy in November 2025 reflects a methodological improvement, which now enables identification and enumeration of claims, which remained continuously in payment over the period.