Boarded out highest in Gozo

The five localities with the highest rates of boarded-out employees are all Gozitan, a new study published yesterday has confirmed.

The National Statistics Office publication Social Security Benefits: A Locality Perspective - 2009, shows that five Gozitan localities had the highest rates of people receiving invalidity pensions. Għasri (51.2 per 1,000 population), Xewkija (49.8), Fontana (43.4), Xagħra (39.7) and Kerċem (39.4) topped the list.

On the opposite end of the league table, Swieqi (6.3), Mtarfa (6.5), Attard (9.2), Ta' Xbiex (11.2) and Sliema (12.3) had the lowest rates of people receiving invalidity pensions.

The publication also confirms a north-south economic and social divide with the localities around the Grand Harbour having high rates of welfare dependency.

NSO statistician Clyde Caruana said the figures confirmed in black and white the perception held by many that there was social and economic disparity between the northern regions and the south.

"The study was based on real data collected from various government agencies and it gives an indication of the level of poverty or affluence in the individual localities," he said.

The highest rates of single unmarried parents on welfare benefits are to be found in Cospicua (24.2 per 1,000 population), Senglea (21), Xgħajra (20.7), Valletta (20.1) and Floriana (13.5).

The same five localities also topped the list for social assistance allowances.

On the other hand, the smallest number of single unmarried parents on welfare benefits can be found in the Gozitan localities of Xewkija (one per 1,000 population), Qala (1.2), Xagħra (1.5) and San Lawrenz (1.7) and in Mġarr in Malta (1.6).

The number of people on social assistance is the lowest in San Lawrenz, Dingli, Kerċem, Għarb and Swieqi.

An analysis of beneficiaries of long-term unemployment assistance also reveals a bigger problem in the south.

Valletta, Cospicua, Żebbuġ (Gozo), Xgħajra and Floriana top the list for the number of unemployment beneficiaries while the more affluent Attard, Swieqi, Mosta, Lija and Mġarr are least affected by unemployment.

A breakdown of children's allowance beneficiaries shows a disparity between the income of people in different regions.

Low-income earners, receiving the highest allowance, are predominantly found in the south with Xgħajra, Cospicua, Senglea and Kalkara topping the list. Pembroke also features among the top five due to its relatively young population.

The figures show that following the 2008 introduction of a flat-rate children's allowance to all families who previously did not qualify for the benefit, the top five recipients were families living in Pembroke, Attard, Mtarfa, Marsascala and Swieqi.

The study also showed that the highest number of retirement pension beneficiaries live in Mdina, Sliema, Floriana, Luqa (including St Vincent de Paul Residence) and Ħamrun while Mtarfa, Iklin, Marsascala, Xgħajra and Swieqi had relatively younger populations.