Disability Allowance

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2015

Tuesday, 21 April 2015

Questions (250)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

250. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on introducing a facility to allow recipients of disability allowance, suffering from conditions whose impact can be intermittent, to suspend their claims in order to take up or increase their income from employment in excess of the means-test, without having to make a fresh application for disability allowance, should they become unable to work once again, or to at least to introduce a fast-track to a re-instatement application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15365/15]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

A person on disability allowance may take up rehabilitative work and earn up to €120 per week without their payment being affected. Earnings of between €121 and €350 per week are assessed at 50% for means test purposes. If their weekly means exceed the statutory limit allowable under legislation for their family size then their payments are stopped.

The minimisation of delay and inconvenience to the claimant is very important but it must be appropriately balanced against the need to ensure that expenditure on the scheme is subject to proper control.

In the event that a DA claimant, who has taken up work, finds that they are unable to continue with their employment and where the break in their DA claim is of a reasonably short duration, their payment is restored immediately upon confirmation of the cessation or reduction in employment but may be subject to review in the future as appropriate. However, where the break in eligibility is of a longer duration, it may be necessary to fully re-assess eligibility before payment is restored in order to confirm that the conditions are still met. This matter is kept under continuous review by my departmental officials.