Expenditure on unemployment payments increased by 29.8 per cent last year with an increase in the Live Register of 9 per cent.
Over 938,000 people received a weekly social welfare payment at the end of 2002, with nearly 1.5 million people directly benefiting, according to official figures released last night.
The figures, which appear in the Department of Social and Family Affairs's "Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services 2002" also show the amount of money spent on social welfare has increased by 21.4 per cent.
The number of recipients and beneficiaries increased by 35,596 (3.9 per cent) and 36,140 (2.5 per cent) respectively, year on year.
The figures detail the number of recipients, beneficiaries and expenditure under the various Social Welfare programmes, according to age, county breakdown and marital status.
The Exchequer financed 54 per cent of expenditure, with the Social Insurance Fund providing 46 per cent.
The Social Insurance Fund is financed by PRSI contributions from employers (73.4 per cent), employees (20.3 per cent), the self-employed (5.3 per cent), and investment income (1.1 per cent).