Social welfare €1bn over budget

SOCIAL Welfare spending this year has gone about €1 billion above what the Government had estimated for 2008, driven by a huge rise in unemployment.

Spending for this year was planned on the basis that 170,000 people would be on the live register. But this figure stood at 268,586 at the end of November and the average for the year to date has been 221,200.

A total spend of €16.9bn was planned for 2008, but Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin said yesterday: “It is now estimated that social welfare expenditure will outturn this year at €17.8bn an increase of nearly €920m or 5.4%.”