News Releases

Government Expenditure on Social Security Benefits: January-September 2024  

NR 202/2024
Release Date: 29 October 2024

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  • Contributory Benefits outlay totalled €872.8 million by the end of September 2024, 10.3 per cent higher than 2023.
  • The number of Two-Thirds pensioners increased by 2,159 from the corresponding period in 2023.
  • The largest cohort of Contributory beneficiaries was registered under the Two-Thirds Pension (60,982).
  • Non-Contributory expenditure amounted to €228.7 million, a 20.7 per cent increase from 2023.
  • During the first three quarters of 2024, there were 98,769 persons in receipt of the Additional Cost of Living Adjustment. Furthermore, there were 44,640 families who qualified for Children’s Allowance.

Government Expenditure on Social Security Benefits: January-September 2024

Government Expenditure on Social Security Benefits: January-September 2024

NR 202/2024
Release Date: 29 October 2024

Between January and September 2024, Government outlay towards Social Security Benefits rose by €120.8 million in comparison to 2023.
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Social Security Benefits Expenditure

During the first three quarters of 2024, spending on Social Security Benefits totalled €1,101.6 million, 12.3 per cent higher than the €980.8 million recorded at the end of September 2023. Higher expenditure was reported for both Contributory (€81.6 million) and Non-Contributory Benefits (€39.2 million) (Table 1).

Government spending towards Contributory Benefits amounted to €872.8 million, a 10.3 per cent rise from 2023. Pensions in respect of Retirement recorded the largest increase of €51.9 million, as the number of Two-Thirds pensioners rose by 2,159 individuals. Further increases were registered under Contributory Bonus (€16.3 million), Pensions in respect of Widowhood (€11.6 million), Other Benefits (€1.7 million) and Deficiency Contributory Bonus (€0.9 million). Conversely, Pensions in respect of Invalidity fell by €0.9 million (Table 2).

By the end of September 2024, Non-Contributory spending amounted to €228.7 million, a 20.7 per cent increase in comparison to the previous year. The rise was largely attributed to an €18.0 million increase in Child Allowance payments, coupled with a €13.1 million increase reported under the Additional Cost of Living Adjustment. The former includes the initial payments of the Special Allowance for Post-Secondary Students (€5.8 million), payable to parents whose children maintain their education status beyond the mandatory age (Table 3).

During the third quarter of 2024, Social Security Benefits spending reached €329.2 million, reflecting a €29.3 million rise from the previous year. Greater outlays were reported under both Contributory (€25.1 million) and Non-Contributory Benefits (€4.1 million). Pensions in respect of Retirement registered the largest increase of €16.1 million under Contributory Benefits (Table 4), while the biggest rise in Non-Contributory outlay was recorded by Child Allowance (€4.5 million) (Table 5).

Social Security Beneficiaries

During the first nine months of 2024, Two-Thirds pensioners totalled 60,982 that was 2,159 more beneficiaries than the corresponding period in 2023. This was the highest increase exhibited among recipients of Contributory Benefits, while, conversely, the biggest drop was registered under National Minimum Widows’ Pension (264) (Table 2).

The highest number of Non-Contributory beneficiaries was reported under the Additional Cost of Living Adjustment (98,769), the largest reported increase (87,599) in Non-Contributory Benefits. Furthermore, there were 44,640 families in receipt of Children’s Allowance, 622 more than the previous year. The biggest decline in recipients was witnessed under Supplementary Allowance (575) (Table 3).

In the third quarter, the Two-Thirds Pension (57,216) and Children’s Allowance (42,751) 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

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Chart 2. Social Security Benefits Expenditure by ESSPROS1 functions

Contributory Benefits

January-September 2024

Old age
Survivors
Disability
Sickness
Other

Non-Contributory Benefits

January-September 2024

Family & Children
Old age
Disability
Social exclusion n.e.c
Sickness
Unemployment

1 Refer to methodological note 5.

Methodological Notes

1. Expenditure data provided in this news release is extracted from the administrative records of the Department of Social Security, 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 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. 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. Furthermore, bonus recipients are not reported separately but captured within relative benefits, reflecting their role as secondary payments made to beneficiaries of Pensions in respect of Retirement and Social Assistance, among others.
 
5. The functions provided in charts 2 and 3 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. A detailed news release calendar is available online.

10. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.

11. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.

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