Liz McManus
Question:46 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the regulations regarding citizens on invalidity benefit and disability benefit being able to work in the open economy. [20121/01]
Vol. 540 No. 2
46 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the regulations regarding citizens on invalidity benefit and disability benefit being able to work in the open economy. [20121/01]
Regulations governing both invalidity pension and disability benefit schemes first require that a person does not engage in employment during periods of incapacity. It is nonetheless recognised that support should be provided for people with disabilities or long-term incapacities to facilitate them in taking up available employment and training opportunities, where appropriate.
Under existing provisions, invalidity pensioners and certain disability benefit customers can, subject to prior approval from my Department, engage in occupational training where they are incapable of following their usual occupation. They may also engage in rehabilitative or therapeutic employment. Disability benefit recipients must generally be receiving payment for at least six months before application for approval is considered.
Since the transfer of training and employment services from the National Rehabilitation Board to FÁS, my Department has entered into arrangements with FÁS to assist people on disability payments who wish to engage in training or rehabilitative employment. As outlined in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, the new employment and training arrangements will have, as a priority, clear progression routes for people with disabilities from sheltered work, supported work and employment to employment options in the open labour market.
Where certification is received by FÁS that an invalidity pensioner or a disability benefit recipient wishes to undertake rehabilitative training or employment, they are, subject to certain conditions, allowed to retain their full invalidity and disability payments as well as any related secondary benefits whilst engaging in FÁS training or community employment schemes.
In the case of disability benefit, applications for approval to take up training or part-time employment are first referred to the medical adviser of my Department for his opinion on the rehabilitative potential of the work-training involved.
47 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will abolish or substantially liberalise the means test for those in receipt of allowances or payments which are subject to such tests and who have physical or sensory disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20199/01]
211 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will revise income eligibility criteria for disability allowance with a view to making such allowances payable to all persons with serious physical or sensory disabilities regardless of means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20454/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 211 together.
Since responsibility for the main means-tested payment for people with disabilities, i.e. the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme, was transferred from the health boards to my Department in October 1996, a range of significant improvements, including improvements in the means-testing arrangements, have been introduced. As a consequence, there has been a substantial increase in the number of recipients of disability allowance – up from 34,500 in October 1996 to 56,221 at the end of May 2001, an increase of 63%.