2053. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the income disregards by €1 in each of the social insurance schemes where income disregards are applicable, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62175/26]

Article 7 of SI 142 of 2007, the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations, as amended, sets out the income limit for the payment of an increase for a qualified adult across a range of schemes.

At present an increase for a qualified adult is payable on a number of social insurance schemes at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the qualified adult are not more than €100 per week. Reduced rates are payable where the means of the qualified adult are over €100 but not more than €310 per week. No increase for a qualified adult is payable where means are in excess of €310 per week.

My Department does not have the data and modelling readily available to provide an estimate of the full-year cost of increasing the limits by €1. Any additional cost would depend on the number of qualified adults on each scheme, the personal rate for the payment, an individual's current reduced payment rate based on which income band they fall under and whether or not a €1 increase moves their income into a different band or not.

Any proposed change to qualified adult income thresholds would need to be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.