One of the qualifying conditions for receipt of invalidity pension requires that the person must be permanently incapable of work. While there is a general rule that invalidity pensioners are not allowed to engage in work, it is nonetheless recognised that support and encouragement should be provided for people with disabilities and those with long-term incapacities to become more self-reliant and less dependent on the social welfare system by facilitating them in taking up available employment and training opportunities.
In this regard, invalidity pensioners are allowed to engage in occupational training where they are incapable of following their usual occupation and also to engage in rehabilitative or therapeutic work. No income limits apply to such employment and training. However, an invalidity pensioner must obtain prior approval from the Department before engaging in such activity.
My Department has entered into an arrangement whereby certification by the NRB that an invalidity pensioner requires rehabilitative training or employment is accepted for the purposes of allowing them to continue to receive full payment and engage in such activity. Some 2,500 invalidity pensioners are currently engaged in rehabilitative training or employment, almost 2,000, 80%, of whom have been certified by the NRB. Out of the overall total of 2,500, over 1,400 invalidity pensioners, 57%, are engaged in the CE programme or other FÁS employment options, while almost 570 people, 23%, are engaged in part-time employment.