Almost 90% of homes in Ireland are in receipt of social welfare benefits of some kind.
The ESRI says welfare – including child benefit and the state pension – is going a long way to reducing the poverty gap – but it warns it must avoid social welfare traps that discourage people from working.
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A report from the think tank also shows that between 2004 and 2011, average social welfare payments increased by nearly €400 per month per household.
