Social security benefits cost the public coffers €211 million in the first three months, figures out yesterday showed.

The National Statistics Office said the increase was about €4 million more than the previous year.

Retirement pensions and contributory bonuses saw the biggest increase at some €5 million each.

These were partly mitigated by a drop of €6 million in widowhood pensions.

The overall increase was equivalent to two per cent.

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