SOCIAL JUSTICE IRELAND is calling for social welfare rates to be increased by €10 per week in the forthcoming budget.

The think tank is urging the government to commit to benchmarking social welfare rates to 27.5% of average earnings over a two year period.

The hike would see the maximum personal rate rise from €203 to €213 in this years budget and then to €222 per week the following year.

“A lesson from past experiences of economic recovery and growth is that the weakest in our society get left behind unless welfare increases track improvements elsewhere in the economy,” Social Justice Ireland CEO Dr Seán Healy said.

“Budget 2021 was the second budget in a row which failed to deliver an increase to the minimum social welfare payment. A repetition of this failure in Budget 2022 would leave those who are most vulnerable in a very difficult position and see them fall further behind,” Dr Healy added.

A report released by the Department of Social Protection last month said the government spent €30.6 billion on social welfare payments in 2020, an increase of 46% from 2019.

Social Justice Ireland made a range of other social welfare recommendations in its budget proposal.

It called for the introduction of a single-rate universal state social welfare pension from January 2022 at the rate of €258.30.

It recommedned an increase in the annual Carer’s Support Grant to €2,000 and an extension of the Carers GP Visit Card to those in receipt of Carer’s Support Grant.

The think tank also called on the government to increase the domiciliary care allowance from €309.50 to €330 and to expand the Free Travel Scheme to include people in receipt of the Domiciliary Care Allowance.

It also called for a €20 per week ‘cost of disability payment’ to be introduced.