News Releases

Government Expenditure on Social Security Benefits: January-September 2023
NR189/2023
Release Date: 26 October 2023
Paper,People,Under,Hands,In,Gesture,Of,Protection.,Concept,Of
  • Contributory Benefits outlay totalled €791.2 million by the end of September 2023, a 7.4 per cent increase from 2022.
  • 1,501 additional Two-Thirds pensioners was the principal catalyst for the reported increase in Contributory Benefits.
  • Non-Contributory expenditure amounted to €189.2 million, 15.0 per cent higher than 2022.
  • The largest cohort of Contributory beneficiaries was reported under the Two-Thirds Pension (58,820).
  • A total of 44,016 families obtained Children’s Allowance by the end of September 2023.
Government Expenditure on Social Security Benefits: January-September 2023
NR189/2023
Release Date: 26 October 2023
During the first nine months of 2023, Government outlay towards Social Security Benefits rose by €78.9 million in comparison to 2022.

 

Paper,People,Under,Hands,In,Gesture,Of,Protection.,Concept,OfSocial Security Benefits Expenditure 

Between January and September 2023, spending on Social Security Benefits totalled €980.4 million, an 8.7 per cent rise from the previous year. Higher expenditure was reported for both Contributory (€54.2 million) and Non-Contributory Benefits (€24.7 million) (Table 1).

Government spending towards Contributory Benefits amounted to €791.2 million, a 7.4 per cent rise from 2022. Pensions in respect of Retirement recorded the largest increase of €32.2 million, mainly as a result of 1,501 more persons in receipt of the Two-Thirds Pension. Further increases were registered under Contributory Bonus (€12.4 million) and Pensions in respect of Widowhood (€9.5 million) (Table 2).

By the end of September 2023, €189.2 million went towards Non-Contributory Benefits, a 15.0 per cent increase in comparison to the previous year. All benefit categories registered increases, with the main ones recorded under Total In-Work Benefit (€6.1 million), Total Supplementary Allowance (€5.3 million) and Child Allowance (€3.5 million) (Table 3).

In comparison to 2022, an additional €26.4 million was spent on Social Security Benefits between July and September 2023, with total expenditure reaching €299.8 million. Contributory expenditure rose by €19.3 million, with the largest increase registered under Pensions in respect of Retirement (€12.2 million). Furthermore, spending towards Non-Contributory Benefits increased by €7.1 million, with the largest growths recorded under Total Supplementary Allowance (€2.4 million) and Total In-Work Benefit (€1.7 million) (Tables 4 and 5). 

Social Security Beneficiaries

During the first nine months of 2023, the largest number of Contributory beneficiaries was recorded under the Two-Thirds Pension (58,820). The same benefit reported the highest increase among recipients, with 1,501 additional pensioners when compared to 2022. On the other hand, the biggest drop in recipients was registered under Sickness Benefit (4,661) (Table 2).

Children’s Allowance reported the highest number of Non-Contributory recipients, with 44,016 families in receipt of the benefit. In-Work Benefit recorded the largest increase in beneficiaries at 16,358, while the largest decline in recipients was witnessed under Supplementary Allowance (466) (Table 3).

In the third quarter of 2022, the Two-Thirds Pension (57,378) and Children’s Allowance (42,186) were the most received Contributory and Non-Contributory Benefits, respectively (Tables 4 and 5).

Chart 1. Social Security Benefits Expenditure

January-September in € million

No Data Found

Chart 2. Social Security Benefits Expenditure by ESSPROS1 functions

Contributory Benefits

January-September 2023

No Data Found

Non-Contributory Benefits

January-September 2023

No Data Found

1 Refer to methodological note 5.

Additional Tables and Charts

Methodological Notes

1. Expenditure data provided in this news release is extracted from the administrative records of the Social Security Department, and is based on the Government’s Consolidated Fund.
 
2. Beneficiaries data is obtained from the Department of Social Security’s Unique Beneficiaries Report.
 
3. In 2022, a complete revamp of the In-Work Benefit (IWB) was carried out by the Income Support and Compliance Division, with  payments now being made to all eligible parents irrespective of application status. Payments are made in arrears, hence the reporting period for reference year N is being covered by payments made between April of year N to March of year N+1. Due to the differences in reporting methods between the data sources listed in Notes 1 and 2, and to maintain consistency in line with the restructuring performed, from 2023 the Unique Beneficiaries Report has been used to extract both the expenditure and beneficiaries data for the IWB.
 
4. For every benefit, the corresponding beneficiaries reflect any person who has received the benefit at least once during the reference period. The number of beneficiaries may not be aggregated since persons obtaining two or more different benefits during the same period are listed once under each benefit. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the annual number of beneficiaries is not equal to the sum of the quarters since beneficiaries obtaining the same benefit in more than one quarter are only counted once.
 
5. The functions provided in charts 2 are in line with the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS) Manual 2022 Edition (ISBN 978-92-76-58596-1). This methodology is mandatory for all EU Member States. A detailed breakdown of which benefits are classified under each function is provided in the Social Security Benefits Glossary that can be accessed from the ‘Sources and Methods’ link listed in note 8.
 
6. Expenditure data is not normally subject to revision, while beneficiaries data may be revised. As of 2023, latest figures for the IWB are to be taken as provisional and subject to revision.
 
7. Figures may not add up exactly due to rounding.
 
8. More information relating to this news release may be accessed at:
 
9. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately.
 
10. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
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