Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
535. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if guidance can be offered to those in receipt of the disability allowance and other benefits in relation to whether they can apply for the arts and disability connect funding without an award for such funding impacting their social welfare benefit entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23843/21]
View answer536. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if guidance can be provided to artists with disabilities that plan to apply for the arts and disability connect funding in relation to whether an award for such funding will not impact on their social welfare benefit entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23844/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 535 and 536 together.
Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes such as Disability Allowance, income and capital (such as savings, investments and property other than the family home) belonging to the claimant and his or her partner, where applicable, is assessable for means assessment purposes. The purpose of this is to maintain the policy of ensuring that social welfare expenditure is targeted to those who need it most.
The assessment of means can vary from scheme to scheme depending on the nature and purpose of the scheme. Sometimes, a certain amount of income, or income from particular sources, is not taken into account for a particular scheme. This is known as an income disregard.
There is an earnings disregard in place for recipients of Disability Allowance which allows people to earn up to €120 per week (increasing to €140 per week in June) and retain their full payment. Only half of earnings between €120 and €350 are assessed in the means test. This aims to achieve a balance between ensuring resources are targeted towards those with the greatest need while supporting people to take up employment opportunities.
In addition, Disability Allowance is unique in the social welfare system as the first €50,000 of capital (e.g. savings, shares, property) is disregarded in the capital means test. This compares to €20,000 for most other social assistance schemes.
My Department encourages social welfare recipients to avail of education and training through the Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to Education and Training Board courses through the Department of Social Protection’s Intreo service. In addition, income received from the SUSI grant is disregarded in the means test for most social welfare schemes.
I recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which will apply to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a PhD.
The measure in these Regulations is designed to acknowledge the increased costs a person with a disability encounters and the particular difficulties they may face supplementing their income through work alongside their PhD studies.
In addition there are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for social welfare payments. These include payments under the 1916 Bursary Fund and under Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners from Uversity to a maximum of €7,000 per annum. Uversity is a registered charity that has been awarding Higher Education Scholarships to adult learners since 2018.
Legislation does not provide for such a disregard for funding from the Arts and Disability Connect scheme and, as such, any award made through this scheme would be assessed as income.
Any extension of means disregards would need to be examined in an overall budgetary context.
