My Department aims, through the provision of a range of supports, to encourage and assist people with disabilities and long-term illnesses who are in receipt of social welfare payments to identify and take up available employment, training and other self-development opportunities, where appropriate. This is achieved through a number of measures, which include: exemptions from the general "no work" conditions which apply to the contributory illness and disability payments. With the prior approval of the Department, a person may be exempted from these conditions so as to engage in employment or training of up to 20 hours per week which is considered to be rehabilitative or therapeutic in nature; earnings disregards in the case of means-tested payments, disability allowance and blind pension, for those engaging in rehabilitative employment or self-employment and rehabilitative training; participation in the back to work scheme, whereby people on long-term illness and disability payments can retain those payments on a sliding scale for three years where they take up full-time employment in the open labour market, four years where engaged in self-employment; the jobs facilitator network, which assists people to return to work, training and education by advising them of the options available, encouraging them to take up these options and providing supports, where necessary; and exemptions from liability for employer and employee PRSI contributions, in certain instances.
The earnings disregard for those in receipt of means-tested payments engaging in rehabilitative employment has been increased on a number of occasions since the transfer of the then disabled person's maintenance allowance, DPMA, from the health boards to my Department as disability allowance in 1996.
At that time, the disregard was £35.20, equivalent of €44.69, increased to £36.30, €46.09, from 4 June 1997 and to £50, €63.49, from 3 June 1998. It was then increased to £75, €95.23, from 5 April 2000 and also extended to self-employment and to its current level of €120 from 3 April 2002. Any further change to this disregard would have budgetary implications and would have to be considered in the context of overall available resources.
As part of the Government's expenditure review initiative, a working group established in my Department reviewed the range of existing illness and disability schemes and identified a number of areas where employment support could be strengthened within the social welfare system and across Departments generally.
The review considered that there is no single approach which could offer a complete solution to the barriers which people with disabilities may experience in finding and taking up employment , but rather that a combination of measures is required which should include: a recognition of the fact that some people's medical and other circumstances may mean that they have some capacity for work, but may never achieve full-time work. A review of the rehabilitative earnings disregard could be considered in this context; ensuring that whatever employment support measures are adopted do not act as a disincentive for people with disabilities and long-term illnesses in maximising their potential; retaining a range of employment supports for different client groups, and ensuring that clients are referred to the most suitable option, having regard to the nature of their illness-disability, age and social circumstances; and the introduction of early intervention measures which are aimed at re-integrating people who sustain serious illnesses, injuries and disabilities back into the workforce before they become long-term dependent on social welfare payments.
The review sets out a strategic direction for policy in relation to the illness and disability schemes and its recommendations will be taken on board in the context of future development of employment support activities. My Department is actively considering how the many recommendations of the report might be implemented.