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Income Support

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WQ.9/2021

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY SENATOR S.Y. MÉZEC

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 25th JANUARY 2021 ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 1st FEBRUARY 2021

Question

Will the Minister provide a list stating how much each Income Support component was worth in 2014, followed by how much they were actually uprated in each year since, and how much they would have been uprated by if they had been updated to match inflation?

Answer

The Income Support scheme is based on a combination of components and disregards, ensuring that each household claim takes full account of the size and nature of the household and its income and other assets.

There have been many changes to the income support scheme since 2014. The disregard applied to earned income has increased from 20% to 26% over this period. For each £100 of wages received in a week, an income support claimant now retains £26, compared to a retention of £20 in 2014. The income disregard now applies to earned income, pension income and maintenance income received by household members.

A list of all component rates at the start of each year is provided below.

The RPI for December 2013 was 156.4. The RPI for December 2020 was 181.4. Components would have been uprated by 16% if they had been updated to match inflation.

The average income support weekly claim amount over the same time has increased by 18% from £218 per week to £257 per week.

 

Category

Component

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Basic Rates

Adult

92.12

92.12

92.12

92.12

94.85

97.72

99.61

99.61

Basic Rates

Single Parent (Adult + single parent supplement)

132.51

132.51

122.43

112.35

105.00

138.11

140.00

140.00

Basic Rates

First Child

63.98

63.98

63.98

63.98

65.87

72.94

77.98

77.98

Basic Rates

Subsequent Child

67.90

69.23

69.23

Basic Rates

Household

51.31

51.31

51.31

51.31

52.85

54.46

55.51

55.51

Carer Rate

Carer

46.97

46.97

46.97

46.97

48.37

49.84

50.82

50.82

Housing Rental Caps

Hostel

80.64

80.64

95.13

100.10

103.04

106.19

108.22

108.22

Housing Rental Caps

Lodgings

115.71

125.30

125.30

131.88

135.73

139.86

142.52

142.52

Housing Rental Caps

Rented Bedsit

115.71

125.30

125.30

131.88

135.73

139.86

142.52

142.52

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 1 Bed Flat

165.27

181.30

181.30

194.46

200.13

206.15

210.07

210.07

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 2 Bed Flat

207.90

235.48

235.48

248.99

256.27

263.97

269.01

269.01

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 3 Bed Flat

236.18

242.20

242.20

267.26

275.03

283.29

288.68

288.68

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 1 Bed House

187.74

208.88

208.88

222.88

229.39

236.32

240.87

240.87

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 2 Bed House

244.58

273.56

273.56

283.01

291.27

300.02

305.76

305.76

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 3 Bed House

272.79

324.24

324.24

330.54

340.13

350.35

357.07

357.07

 

Category

Component

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 4 Bed House

295.19

341.25

341.25

360.29

370.79

381.92

389.20

389.20

Housing Rental Caps

Rented 5 Bed House

321.16

387.87

387.87

398.86

410.48

422.80

430.85

430.85

Social Housing

All types

Uncapped from April 2014

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied Bedsit

6.02

6.02

6.02

6.37

6.58

6.79

6.93

6.93

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 1 Bed Flat

6.02

6.02

6.02

6.37

6.58

6.79

6.93

6.93

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 2 Bed Flat

6.02

6.02

6.02

6.37

6.58

6.79

6.93

6.93

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 3 Bed Flat

8.54

8.54

8.54

9.03

9.31

9.59

9.80

9.80

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 4 Bed Flat

12.11

12.11

12.11

12.74

13.16

13.58

13.86

13.86

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 1 Bed House

6.02

6.02

6.02

6.37

6.58

6.79

6.93

6.93

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 2 Bed House

8.54

8.54

8.54

9.03

9.31

9.59

9.80

9.80

Housing Owner Occupied Rates

Owner Occupied 3 Bed House

12.11

12.11

12.11

12.74

13.16

13.58

13.86

13.86

Impairment Rates

Personal Care Level 1

22.96

22.96

22.96

22.96

23.66

24.43

24.92

24.92

Impairment Rates

Personal Care Level 2

101.15

101.15

101.15

101.15

104.09

107.24

109.34

109.34

Impairment Rates

Personal Care Level 3

145.25

145.25

145.25

145.25

149.52

154.07

157.01

157.01

Impairment Rates

Mobility Level 1

22.96

22.96

22.96

22.96

23.66

24.43

24.92

24.92

Impairment Rates

Mobility Level 2

45.92

45.92

45.92

45.92

47.32

48.79

49.77

49.77

Impairment Rates

Clinical Costs Level 1

3.15

3.15

3.15

3.15

3.29

3.43

3.50

3.50

Impairment Rates

Clinical Costs Level 2

6.30

6.30

6.30

6.30

6.58

6.86

7.00

7.00

Childcare Hourly rate

Child Day Care Age 0 - 2

6.27

6.27

6.48

6.59

6.79

7.00

7.14

7.14

Childcare Hourly rate

Child Day Care Age 3 - 4

4.90

4.90

5.06

5.15

5.30

5.46

5.57

5.57

Childcare Hourly rate

Child Day Care Age 5 - 11

4.85

4.85

5.06

5.15

5.30

5.46

5.57

5.57

Note that the private sector housing rental caps are maximum values paid