More than double the number of people were signing on the Live Register in County Clare at the end of last year compared to 1999.New figures released in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report show that the Live Register figure for Clare jumped by 108% from 3602 in 1999 to 7503 in December 2008. The Banner County recorded a significantly higher increase than all other counties ion Munster. Only six other parts of the country, namely Cavan, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath, recorded a greater increase than Clare.
Overall, the CSO figures show there was a 15% increase nationally in people seeking social welfare payments in 2008, totalling €17.5bn. Last year, almost 1.8m people were receiving weekly Government assistance in the form of social welfare payments. The Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report also indicates that there was a drop in the numbers of EU workers coming into the country.
Click on above image for detailed view of Live Register figures. Click below for Clare's pension recipients in 2008.
