Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 October 2022
84. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to amend the income disregard, the eligibility criteria and the schemes which attract the disregard in the means test, for the farm assist scheme. [50587/22]
View answerFarm Assist is a statutory income support specifically for farmers on low-incomes. There are approximately 4,500 claims in payment at present. Government has provided €53.9 million for the scheme for 2022.
Further to commitments in the Programme for Government and the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025, my Department reviewed the means assessment disregards for Farm Assist. The report is available on the Government's website. One of the key recommendations of the report was to expand the list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard for Farm Assist. I introduced this measure effective from June 2022.
In the Farm Assist means test, income from these schemes currently attracts a disregard of €2,540, with 50% of the balance assessed as means. I was pleased to announce in Budget 2023 that, from January, the amount of income from agri-environmental schemes that is disregarded will increase to €5,000.
The Review of the Farm Assist disregards also recommended that my Department would work with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to identify schemes in Ireland's upcoming Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which may be considered for inclusion in the list of schemes which attract this disregard. I am committed to this and will consider any additional schemes in that context.
The other recommendations in the report, which include increases in the capital disregard and income disregarded from off-farm earnings, would have to be considered as part of the budgetary process.
I have also agreed to carry out a review of how income from land leased out by farmers is treated in the means assessments for the State Non-Contributory Pension and Farm Assist. This is being progressed within my Department.
I trust this clarifies the position.
