The outlay on social security benefits increased by €20.5 million in the first nine months of this year when compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

Total social security benefits amounted to €668.5 million during the first three quarters of the year, reflecting a 3.2 per cent rise from the corresponding period in 2015.

The increase in expenditure was due to a €31.1 million rise in contributory benefits outlay. On the other hand, non-contributory benefits expenditure declined by €10.6 million.

Contributory benefits this year outlay totalled €527 million by the end of September, 6.3 per cent more than in the same period in 2015. The rise in outlay was mainly due to a €26.4 million rise in pensions in respect of retirement.

Non-contributory benefits expenditure decreased by seven per cent during the first nine months of the year, amounting to €141.5 million.

The main reason behind the decline was due to the one-time child supplementary benefit paid in September 2015, accounting for €7.7 million of the non-contributory outlay for the third quarter of that year.