Social welfare spending doubles in six years

SPENDING on social welfare has almost doubled over the last six years, according to the CSO Statistical Yearbook.

From 1999 to 2005 expenditure on social welfare payments climbed by 94% with a total of 976,613 people in receipt of a weekly social welfare payment at the end of last year.

The main areas of expenditure by programme group were: Old Age (24%); Child Related (17%); Illness, Disability and Caring (17%); and Widows, Widowers and One Parent Families (16%).