Lone parents on social welfare have as little as 15p a week to spend after meeting basic living expenses, says an analysis of the Budget improvements being introduced this week.
Crumbs from the Celtic Tiger is published by the Cherry Orchard Concerned and Active Citizens Group in Dublin. It estimates the income of a mother and two children on social welfare to be £116.65 a week, just 15p higher than outgoings.
By contrast, a family of two parents and four children, living on long-term unemployment assistance, has £43 a week for extras after meeting basic living costs,
but the extras include school expenses, bus fares, social life, telephone, postage and meeting credit union debts. If one parent was employed on a low wage the family would have £64 for extras.
A person with a disability would have £5 week after meeting basic living costs, a contributory pensioner would have £19.65 and a non-contributory pensioner £8.15.
The group also estimated the annual cost of putting a child through school. For infant school pupils it is £118; for pupils in third class in primary school it is £169,; for a first-year secondary school pupil it is £290; and for a fifth-year pupil £350. The back-to-school clothing allowances are £43 for primary school and £58 for secondary school.
Overall, the group says, its analysis "highlights the struggle of people in Ireland today who are trying to live with dignity on a very inadequate income. We believe it is most unjust to expect families to exist under such financial restrictions when the Celtic Tiger is supposed to exist."