Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 November 2022
218. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who are currently in receipt of a training allowance after having transferred from the disability allowance or the blind pension after taking up a place on a FET training course, are eligible for the once-off €500 disability support grant; if not, the reason for this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57043/22]
View answer219. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) has an entitlement to the €500 payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57049/22]
View answer220. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the planned €500 disability support grant announced in Budget 2023 will be amended to include those who were in receipt of the disability allowance but have moved to FET training allowance given that these families and the organisations supporting them anticipated they would be eligible for the grant and had planned accordingly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57062/22]
View answer222. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will immediately review the eligibility criteria for National Learning Network students who currently cannot avail of the €500 disability support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57072/22]
View answer223. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that National Learning Network students are not receiving the €500 disability support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57073/22]
View answer224. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) in which the disability support grant has been withheld. [57087/22]
View answer225. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a cohort of persons (details supplied) are being denied the disability support grant in view of the fact that they would have been previously in receipt of a qualifying payment, namely the disability allowance and have only been temporarily changed to a training allowance for the duration of their course; if this decision will be reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57089/22]
View answer226. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale behind the decision not to grant the €500 cost-of-living lump sum payment to those who are in receipt of the training allowance and whose disability allowance has been paused as a result; if she will reconsider the decision to exclude them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57098/22]
View answer230. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that recipients of the disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension and the carer’s support grant will not receive the one-off payment of €500 14 November 2022 given that if these persons have entered training or CE schemes they are not entitled to the payment; if this rule will be changed in order that they can receive the grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57139/22]
View answer232. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether students who are attending the National Learning Network, who were awarded the disability allowance, should receive the €500 cost-of-living disability support grant in the same way as persons who were awarded the disability allowance and are receiving their payment from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57158/22]
View answer234. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons in receipt of disability allowance who are currently on a training course with an organisation (details supplied) have been excluded from receiving the disability support grant; and if this will be reconsidered given that those taking part in training courses are experiencing the increasing costs of living just as their peers. [57207/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 218, 219, 220, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 230, 232 and 234 together.
My Department has, as you will be aware, acted very quickly to deliver the Disability Support Grant and other budget measures within an exceptionally short timeframe. Wherever possible, budget measures that are usually implemented in the January to March period of the year following a budget announcement, have been brought forward and implemented within a period of weeks. While this early issue of payments was very challenging it was possible to achieve for people paid directly off the Department’s own payment systems.
However, when undertaking training courses, recipients of Disability Allowance move off the Department’s payment systems and transfer to a Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science funded Training Allowance. As a consequence, it was not possible to process early payment of the Disability Support Grant to these recipients in the same manner as was implemented in respect of people paid directly through the Department’s own systems.
I can confirm, however, that it is absolutely the intention that people on training courses, having previously been in receipt of a Disability Allowance payment, will receive the €500 Disability Support Grant.
My officials are examining this issue in conjunction with their colleagues in the Department of Further, Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure the payment is made to those who are on Training courses as soon as possible.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
