Equally, the cost would be bad reason for the union to persist, so nationalists and unionists should want this spending to fall
A Department of Social Protection report estimates that harmonizing disability benefits in a united Ireland could cost between €7 billion and €22 billion annually. Extending the UK's disability benefit system across the island would be particularly expensive, requiring a significant subsidy. The differences between the disability benefit systems in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland pose a more significant challenge to unification than pension costs.
