Spending on Social Security Benefits totalled €359.2 million between January and March this year, a rise of 7.5% on the previous year, the National Statistics Office said today.

The data shows that Contributory Benefits outlay totalled €287.4 million by the end of March, a 5.9% increase from 2022.

The NSO noted that the “principal catalyst” for the reported increase in Contributory Benefits were an additional 735 Two-Thirds pensioners. “In fact, the largest cohort of Contributory beneficiaries was reported under the Two-Thirds Pension (56,332).”

Non-Contributory expenditure amounted to €71.8 million, 14.7 per cent higher than 2022.

There was a total of 41,760 families which received Children’s Allowance during the first quarter of this year.

File photo: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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