Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:78. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the living alone allowance. [2901/26]
View answerThursday, 15 January 2026
Questions (78)
Written answers
Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. Payments available to those over 66 include the State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-Contributory) and the Bereaved Partners' Contributory Pension.
The rate of primary and secondary payments to pensioners, and their adequacy, are considered in the context of the annual budgetary process. In doing so, the Government considers evidence from a wide range of sources, including agencies such as the CSO, and also research submitted by advocacy groups such as the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, which uses a measure they call the “Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL)”.
The data shows that the cost of living for a single person is slightly more than the individualized cost of two people living together. For this reason, the Living Alone Increase is available to those in receipt of qualifying payments. The Living Alone Increase is currently paid at €22 per week.
There are a number of other secondary benefits that may be available to those in receipt of a State Pension payment and the Living Alone Increase. These include:
• Household Benefits Package which includes an Electricity or Natural Gas allowance of €35 per month. It also includes free Television licence.
• Fuel Allowance, which has increased by €5 per week from January 2026 to €38 per week during the Fuel season.
• Also, a person in receipt of a State Pension and who qualifies for both the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance will automatically qualify for the Telephone Support Allowance, which is €2.50 per week.
Any future changes to rate of payment for the Living Alone Increase would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
Furthermore, my Department operates Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people of any age, who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 79 answered with Question No. 49.