Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 16 Dec 1993

Vol. 437 No. 4

Written Answers. - Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance.

Austin Currie

Question:

35 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Health if, in view of concern regarding the current method of assessing income where the spouse of an applicant for disabled persons maintenance allowance is in employment and the comparative approach adopted in respect of other means tested payments, for example unemployment assistance, consideration will be given towards changing the mode of assessment.

Jim Higgins

Question:

53 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Health the reason he and his predecessors have persistently ignored the recommendation in the Ombudsman's reports of 1988, 1991 and 1992 as to the punitive method used for the assessment of disabled persons maintenance allowance by comparison with the approach adopted in the case of other means-tested payments such as unemployment assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 53 together.

Under section 69 of the Health Act, 1970, health boards, in assessing eligibility for disabled person's maintenance allowance, are obliged to have regard to the means of both the applicant and his/her spouse.

I am aware of differences between the assessment of means for disabled person's maintenance allowance and for social assistance schemes under the Department of Social Welfare. Some of these are more favourable to disabled person's maintenance allowance applicants, most notably in the means assessment of disabled people living at home with their parents where the value of board and lodgings is not taken into account. In contrast, the value of board and lodgings is taken into account in assessing eligibility for unemployment assistance.

I am concerned, however, that the rules concerning assessment of spouse's earnings are less favourable under the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme. My Department is examining the cost implications of bringing the method of assessing spouse's earnings under the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme into line with arrangements that apply to social assistance schemes operated by the Department of Social Welfare.