A total of 8,042 households received municipal income support in 2013, an increase by 306 (4.0%) from the year before. In the year 2012 the increase from the year before was only 21 (0.3%) household but in the years before the average increase was 860 households a year. Households of single men without children (45.5%) and households of single women with children (26.0%) were as before the biggest groups receiving income support. In the year 2013 nearly 45% of recipients of municipal income support were unemployed and thereof nearly two third non-insured or 2,413 individuals.
In households receiving income support in the year 2013 were 13,130 individuals or 4.0% of inhabitants in the country, thereof were 4,421 children (17 years of age or younger) or 5.5% of all children in the country. In the year 2012 there were 12,586 individuals, 3.9% of inhabitants in the country, living in households receiving income support, thereof 4,190 children or 5.3% of all children in Iceland.
In the year 2013, 8,387 households received municipal home-help service. More than four of every five of these households were households of the elderly or 6,893 (82.2%). That was an increase of 93 (1.4%) households from the year 2012. A total of 8,655 individuals or 20.2% of inhabitants 65 years or older were living in these households. In the municipality of Reykjavík, little less than 24% of that age group received home-help service. The average number of hours worked per household receiving municipal home-help service in the year 2013 was 112 (2.4 hours per week) a decrease by 2 hours from the year before. Little more than 34% of hours were help on necessary practical duties only but the rest included personal service also.
In the year 2013, 2,030 children were enrolled in day-care in private homes, an increase by 85 (4.4%) from the year before. That was little more than 7% of children at the age of 0 to 5 years in the country. Thereof were little less than 5% of all children in the first year and nearly 40% of children 1 year of age, but those are children that have not reached the pre-primary school age.
Municipal social services 2013 - Statistical Series