Persons who have been on Disability Benefit for a year or longer, and who satisfy the medical condition of being permanently incapable are entitled to claim Invalidity Pension.
A person in receipt of Deserted Wife's Benefit would not, therefore, normally be entitled to Invalidity Pension. However, where a person was in receipt of Disability Benefit in addition to Deserted Wife's Benefit it would be possible for her to qualify for Invalidity Pension instead of Deserted Wife's Benefit after a period of 12 months on Disability Benefit.
In the absence of specific details of the particular client it is not possible to say whether it is open to her to transfer to Invalidity Pension nor whether she would lose or gain by such a transfer. The balance of advantage could be affected by the extent to which she would use the free travel facility and by whether she would qualify for other extra benefits such as the free electricity allowance and the free telephone rental allowance, etc. If the Deputy furnishes my Department with the relevant details, I will be glad to have the matter raised by him fully examined, with particular reference to the question of her entitlement to free travel.
Free travel is available to invalidity pensioners as well as to those in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance. To be entitled to this allowance, a person must satisfy a means test, be unable to work because of a disability and be unlikely to be able to work for at least a year. It is open to any person to apply to the health board for the allowance.
