The cabinet has set aside €66 million to increase housing benefits for single people after a fact check revealed a mistake in spending power calculations.

Some 200,000 single people living on welfare benefits or working for the minimum wage will be entitled to an extra €36 in housing benefit a year because of the error, ministers agreed at Friday’s cabinet meeting.

The mistake, which officials put down to human error, led to spending power figures being over-estimated for some groups, and subsequently lower benefits.

Housing benefits will now be increased for the groups which have been affected and back-dated to January, once the law has been changed to reflect the new figures. This may take until July, ministers said.