The number of Clare people accessing some form of social welfare payment increased across the board last year.
The findings are contained in the Department of Employment and Social Protection’s 2020 annual report.
16,912 people across the Banner accessed some form of State Pension benefit last year – an increase of nearly 600 on 2019.
Around 70 more people accessed Jobseeker’s Allowance in Clare in 2020, with 3,144 receiving the State support here.
The number of people accessing Disability Allowance here has also increased to 3,658, while the number of those claiming Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Invalidity Pension has also jumped.
Numbers availing of Community Employment supports, the One Parent Family Payment and Maternity Benefit all dropped slightly in this county last year.
The report also reveals there were more than 3,000 recipients of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear allowance here in 2020, while more than 5,800 received the Living Alone allowance.
The number of people accessing either short or long term rent supplements here more than doubled, while more than 25,000 Clare people have access to free travel benefits.
