The outlay on social security benefits increased by €6.7 million in the first half of the year, when compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

It said this was mainly due to an increase in expenditure on non-contributory benefits.

Total social security benefits amounted to €412.3 million, a 1.7 per cent increase over the corresponding period of 2013. This was due to a €10.9 million increase in expenditure on non-contributory benefits.

Contributory benefits outlay declined by €4.1 million.

Contributory benefits expenditure totalled €303.5 million by the end of June, down by 1.3 per cent over 2013.

This was due to an €11 million drop in the contributory bonus outlay, as a result of the change in the cost of living adjustment payment procedure which, starting from this year, is being paid every four weeks instead of as a lump sum at the beginning of the year.

In the second quarter, the outlay on social security benefits went up by €11.2 million, to €206 million. An increase in expenditure was recorded under both the contributory (€6.3 million) and non- contributory (€5 million) categories.