Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 December 2022
378. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that recipients of the €500 lump sum payment for those in receipt of the disability support grant who are also recipients of the carer’s support grant are not eligible for an additional €500 lump sum payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60845/22]
View answerAs part of Budget 2023, I announced a once-off €500 Cost-of-Living payment, to be paid to recipients of the Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension, and the Carer's Support Grant. The provision of the payment is to recognise the rising cost of living and the challenges faced by these groups during the current energy crisis.
This payment is made on the basis of one payment per recipient. Those in receipt of more than one social welfare payment will receive one lump sum payment, based on their primary qualifying social welfare payment.
The €500 Cost of Living Disability/Carers Support payment is a lump sum payment to those carers who are eligible for the Carer’s Support Grant and was paid in the week commencing 21 November to over 114,500 carers. In addition, 7,512 family carers received the payment the previous week with their long-term disability payment.
Carers/persons on long-term disability payments were eligible for one €500 Cost of Living Disability/Carers Support payment based on their primary payment.
It’s also worth noting that persons receiving both a primary payment and a half rate payment received a double payment in respect of both payments in October and will do so again this week as part of the Christmas Bonus.
The €500 Cost of Living payment is part of a range of measures put in place for carers and people with disabilities as part of Budget 2023. Other measures I announced include:
- Cost of Living Double Payment to those getting Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Partial Capacity Benefit, Invalidity Pension and Disablement Benefit, paid in October
- Carers and those getting disability payments will also receive the Christmas Bonus Double Payment from week starting 5 December
- €400 Lump Sum Fuel Allowance Payment to all households receiving the Fuel Allowance paid in November
- €200 Lump Sum Payment for pensioners and people with a disability receiving the Living Alone Allowance paid in November
- €12 increase in the maximum weekly rate of carer and disability payments with effect from January 2023 with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate
- €2 increase for each Qualified Child, bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s from January 2023
- Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20.50 to €330 per month with effect from January 2023
- Domiciliary Care Allowance will be available in respect of children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth.
- The earnings disregard for both the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension will be increased by €25 per week, from €140 to €165 in January
- The means assessment threshold for Fuel Allowance will increase by €80 for people under age 70, and Disablement Benefit and half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be disregarded in the means test for Fuel Allowance with effect from January 2023
- €1 million Expansion of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund to support people with disabilities in the workplace
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
