Written Answers Nos. 63-77
63. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she agrees with an organisation (details supplied) that Budget 2024 is regressive because temporary changes like one-off social protection payments are more concentrated among those on lower incomes, whereas the permanent changes favour the already better off; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46428/23]
View answerAs part of Budget 2024, Minister Humphreys and I secured a €2.3 Billion Social Protection package. I am pleased to say that this is, for the second year in a row, the largest in the history of the State.
This package provides a mixture of exceptional cost of living payments delivered quickly, over the coming weeks, along with rate increases effective from January. Each year, the ESRI produces a post-Budget analysis of the main tax and welfare changes in the Budget. The analysis compares the actual welfare and tax changes against a hypothetical neutral budget scenario – i.e. a budget where taxes and rates were adjusted for projected inflation.
The ESRI analysis shows that Budget 2024 rate increases, combined with the cost of living measures, are effective in protecting most households from rising prices through the winter. The analysis also shows that lower income households are better off than if they had just received an inflation indexed increase in basic rates.
The ERSI analysis states that the package of tax cuts, welfare increases, cost of living payments and indirect tax changes introduced under Budget 2024 is progressive with higher gains for low-income households compared to high income households.
The combination of once-off and ongoing measures will support vulnerable groups including pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families. For example, a lone parent with two young children, will be €2,448 better off due to Budget 2024. A pensioner couple will see their income increase by more than €2,514. A person with a disability living alone will be €2,020 better off after Budget 2024.
Budget 2024 is putting money into the pockets of people who most need it. The Budget is independently assessed as being progressive, targeted at lower income households and will protect these households against rising costs.
64. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is undertaking a review of the criteria for qualification for the State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46415/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues in respect of the State Pension.
The Government considered the report of the Pensions Commission carefully and in response, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in September 2022.
These reforms include a range of measures affecting eligibility for State Pension (Contributory), including:
1. A decision that the State Pension age will remain at 66 years of age.
2. Flexibility will be introduced to the State Pension (Contributory) allowing a person to defer access between age 66 and 70 and receive an actuarially based increase in their weekly payment rate. This will also allow a person with less than 40 years contributions to use the period between 66 and 70 years of age to build up additional entitlements. If a person has less than the required 10 years PRSI reckonable paid contributions, they may be able to use this period to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory).
3. The introduction of enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been providing full time care to incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more. This may assist long-term carers in these circumstances who currently may not be able to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to them for those caring periods.
4. There will also be a 10-year phased full transition to the Total Contributions Approach, together with a phased abolition of the Yearly Average approach.
I expect to bring the legislation required to introduce these measures before the Oireachtas soon, with proposals to be implemented from January 2024.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
65. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection how many reviews of State (non-contributory) pensions have been carried out in 2023; and how many pensions have been stopped as a result. [46228/23]
View answerState pension non-contributory is a fully means-tested payment for applicants aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory.
Under the Department’s Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy, the state pension non-contributory scheme area has a commitment to an annual level of control reviews and operates an ongoing continuous schedule of control and review activity. The objective is to ensure that customers continue to receive their correct rate of payment over the lifetime of their claim. On review, claimants may have their weekly payment rate unchanged or adjusted upwards or downwards as appropriate, based on their up-to-date means assessment.
Reviews can arise from customer requests for a review of their claim, from targeted and random case selections, or where specific information comes to the attention of the Department. Factors such as length of time since last review, or where information is received from other agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners, or from members of the public, can also trigger control reviews.Information letters are issued annually to a proportion of recipients, on a rolling basis, to remind them of the conditions for continuing receipt of their state pension non-contributory payment and their obligation to notify the Department of changes in their circumstances in a timely manner.
There are currently 99,452 customers receiving the state pension non-contributory. The number of control reviews carried out on state pension non-contributory claims to the end of September this year is 10,191. Of this number, 605 resulted in the payment of state pension non-contributory being stopped.
The Department is committed to ensuring that the principles of due process and natural justice are followed in all state pension non-contributory claim decisions. This applies equally to decisions at initial claim stage and when claims are subsequently reviewed.I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
66. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on the review of means testing rules of social welfare schemes; whether it is still intended to complete the review and publish it in quarter four this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46369/23]
View answer67. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes proposed to the means testing rules of social welfare and employment schemes in Budget 2024; whether it is intended to add to these changes in the Social Welfare Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46368/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 67 together.
Social welfare legislation provides that, for social assistance schemes, 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. Means test rules in my Department are kept under regular review and I have introduced a number of significant changes in recent years including:
• Providing for higher income disregards. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, their income from work to the level of the income disregard, is not assessed in the means test.
• Expanding the list of agri-environmental schemes that qualify for a disregard, and as part of Budget 2023 I increased this disregard.
• Introduced a Rent a Room disregard, for all Social Protection schemes, to enable recipients to support those arriving from Ukraine, and others, in a tight housing market. Earlier this year, I extended that provision for a further two years.
• From January 2023 introduced significant changes to eligibility rules for Fuel Allowance, including a new means threshold for people aged 70 years and over - €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. These changes resulted in an additional 35,000 households joining the scheme so far.
• Last year significantly increased the income and capital disregards for Carer's Allowance. This enables more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for the scheme and allows carers and their families to earn more from employment while retaining their carer’s payment.
• As part of Budget 2024 further increased the disregard to €450 for a single person, and €900 for carers with a spouse/partner from June.
• Regulations which provide for disregards in relation to UCD's Cothram na Féinne scholarship programme are in development and I hope to sign them in the coming days, benefitting third level students from lower income households.
I have committed to carrying out a broad review of means testing this year, which is ongoing, and it will be completed by the end of the year.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
68. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of any engagement between her Department and disabled persons organisations and disability organisations in the development of the Green Paper on Disability Reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46452/23]
View answerThe Green Paper on Disability Reform is my Department's response to our commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system.
The Green Paper is a consultation document we developed to start a structured discussion with disabled people and stakeholder groups on what the future of long-term disability payments could look like. It is not a final reform design. The proposals of the Green Paper are not final. They represent a starting point for a structured discussion on what the future of long-term disability payments could look like. They are intended to invite discussion, debate and suggestions.
Nobody will lose their payment or have their payment reduced. The objective is to increase people’s payments and provide more employment supports for those who can and want to work.
Based on a conservative estimate, the Green Paper proposals, if introduced, would increase spending by more than €130 million per year.
I am very mindful of our commitment in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to consult closely with and actively involve disabled people and their representative groups in changes to policies and services that will impact them.
My officials engaged with a number of disability stakeholders prior to the launch in early September on the accessibility of written materials for the launch. The Department incorporated stakeholders' feedback and published the Green Paper in plain English, easy-to-read, and screen reader friendly formats. It is also available on request in two Braille formats. We also took the recommendations of stakeholders on board regarding video submissions to allow for people whose first language is Irish Sign Language to submit their views to us, and their input regarding the importance of hybrid and regional events.
I launched the paper and a wide-scale public consultation on the Green Paper on 20th September when I met a number of stakeholder organisations as part of a briefing session. I also held a consultation event with stakeholders on 18th October. Further consultation events are taking place in Dublin Castle on 9th November, in Cork on 14th November and in Athlone on 23rd November. These are open to disability groups, Disabled Persons' Organisations and members of the public. Invitations will be shared with over 100 organisations. Registration for these events is already open to all via Eventbrite. Depending on demand, my officials are happy to add more locations and more consultation events to this event series.
In addition, individuals and groups are welcome to make a submissions until 15th December. They can do this in writing or by video in Irish Sign Language through our web page. My officials already received over 120 submissions from individuals which will feed into the final reform design.
I would further ask all of you to encourage those you represent to make their voices heard. It is essential that we hear from as many disabled people and representatives as possible. I can assure everyone that their voices will be heard. I engaged in similar consultations on pay-related benefit and pensions auto-enrolment which led to the revision of some key features. The same will apply here.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
69. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection when the ‘best of both’ calculation was undertaken for the period 2020 to 2023; how many State pension recipients were better off under the total contributions approach than under the old system; how many people were worse off under the total contributions approach; and if she will undertake to preserve the ‘best of both’ option for those categories of persons who will be worse off under a total contributions approach calculation. [46390/23]
View answerUnder current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment.
Currently applicants for the State Pension (Contributory) have their entitlement assessed under two separate criteria, the Yearly Average (YA) method and the Total Contributions Approach (TCA).
The YA method has been in place since the introduction of the contributory pension in 1961. The YA method sees all paid and credited contributions divided by time spent in the social insurance system to give an average of Social Insurance contributions per year with payments made on a banded basis. A yearly average of 48 reckonable contributions is required to qualify for the maximum rate.
The TCA was introduced with effect from 2018. It removes the time spent in the Social Insurance system as a factor and simply adds paid and credited contributions together. 2080 contributions (equivalent to 40 years) are required for a full rate payment with pro-rata payments for those who have the minimum required 520 paid contributions, but less than 2080.
On examining entitlement to pension, currently all applications are assessed under the YA assessment first. If a person is awarded the maximum rate of pension under the YA assessment, the TCA assessment is not applied. The Department does not, therefore, have a TCA assessment in respect of every application for State Pension Contributory.
However, of those reaching pension age in 2022, 17,327 (50%) were awarded a maximum rate State Pension Contributory under the YA calculation and 5,175 (15%) were awarded a maximum rate under the TCA calculation. 27% were awarded a reduced rate pension under the YA approach and 8% under the TCA calculation.
In a sample of 2,000 claims awarded a maximum rate pension under the YA approach, 67% would also have been awarded a maximum rate under the TCA approach.
It can also be assumed that, if a person is awarded the maximum rate of pension using the TCA assessment, that they did not qualify for maximum rate under the YA assessment. This also applies where a person is awarded a reduced rate of pension.
70. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she considers that the €4 increase in the qualified child payment will make a significant impact on child poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46427/23]
View answerThe Government is keenly aware of issues in relation to child poverty, and these issues have formed a critical input into the development of the Budget 2024 package; at almost €2.3 billion, it is the largest social welfare Budget package in the history of the State.
I provided for the weekly rates of the Increase for a Qualified Child to increase by €4 to €46 per week in the case of children under age 12 and by €4 to €54 per week in the case of children aged 12 or over. These increases will take effect from January at an estimated cost of €60.9 million in 2024. As a result, these rates will have increased by €10 for under 12s and by €14 for over 12s over the last four Budgets.
I have also provided for a €100 cost of living lump sum for people getting an Increase for a Qualified Child, to be paid in respect of each qualified child, at an estimated cost of €37 million in November 2023.
In addition, Budget 2024 provides for a €54 weekly increase in the Working Family Payment income limits for families of all sizes from January. I have also provided for a €400 lump sum payment to all families in receipt of the payment in November 2023 at an estimated cost of €18.4 million. Recipients of this payment are by definition, low income employees with children.
The double payment of Child Benefit in November will benefit 650,000 recipients in respect of over 1.2 million children at a cost of €178.8 million.
I have also extended Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education from next September. This was one of my key priorities as part of Budget 2024 and I believe it is a long-term change for the better which will support families across Ireland into the future. As a result of Budget 2024, families in receipt of payments such as One-Parent Family Payment will also benefit from a double week payment in December as well as a double week payment in January. Families in receipt of the Fuel Allowance will also receive a €300 lump sum payment in November.
In addition, the Budget provided for a €12 increase in the weekly personal rate of working age payments bringing the rate to €232 from January.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection when she anticipates poverty in this country will be ended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46429/23]
View answerThe Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020–2025 is the national strategy for poverty reduction and social inclusion. The ambitious headline target is to reduce the percentage of the population in consistent poverty to 2% or less by 2025. The Roadmap also includes other indicators to support on delivery of this ambition.
Official poverty data is published annually by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC). SILC 2022 data shows that there have been improvements across the key national poverty indicators over the last decade. The rate of consistent poverty has decreased to 5.3% in 2022, from a high of 9.0% in 2013.
And while poverty rates did increase in 2022, the SILC 2022 results were similar to the results of SILC 2020, despite the onset and subsequent wide ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on lives and incomes. In addition, the SILC 2022 data relates to income in the calendar year 2021 and does not include the measures implemented and announced by this Government in Budgets 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as cost of living packages, that have prioritised the introduction of measures that have had and will continue to have a direct and positive impact on poverty.
In this regard, post Budget analysis from the ESRI found that Budget 2023, combined with one-off measures to reduce the cost of living, were effective in protecting most households from rising prices last winter. Additionally, similar ESRI post-Budget analysis shows that measures announced under Budget 2024, were progressive with the greatest gains going to lower income quintiles and would again insulate most households from rising prices next year.
We continue to see the significant impact played by social transfers on reducing poverty and reducing income inequality. The At Risk of Poverty rate before social transfers was 36.7% in 2022, but this reduced to 13.1% after transfers were included. This represents an overall poverty reduction effect of 64%, meaning Ireland continues to be one of the best performing countries in the EU for this measure.
The SILC survey results will be incorporated into our annual reporting on progress against targets set out in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion. The continued implementation of Roadmap commitments is key to ensuring a reduction in poverty for all segments in society.
The 17th of October last week was the UN International Day for the eradication of poverty. Every year my Department funds initiatives by community groups and projects to raise awareness of this important day. This year I was able to attend the event to commemorate this initiative and listened to the testimony of people experiencing poverty. While it is clear we have made progress in reducing poverty in recent years I acknowledge that we still have much work to do and I will continue to work with my Government colleagues as we strive for further improvements across the key national poverty indicators, ensuring continued support for those most at risk of poverty.
72. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in County Clare who availed of an additional need's payment since 1 January 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46417/23]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department can make additional needs payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.In total, 2,108 Additional Needs Payments were awarded in the period 1st January 2023 to 30th September 2023 to customers in County Clare.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
73. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the key aspects of the proposed three-tiered personal support payment for people with disabilities. [46391/23]
View answer99. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that under the proposals in the Green Paper on Reform of Disability Payments, no person who is currently in receipt of long-term disability payments will be moved off a disability payment. [46399/23]
View answer107. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of proposals to address inconsistencies in eligibility for disability payments. [46393/23]
View answer116. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the proposed introduction of new in-work supports for people with disabilities. [46392/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 73, 99, 107 and 116 together.
The Green Paper is my Department's response to our commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system.
The main proposal of the Green Paper is a three-tiered Personal Support Payment. This would replace Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance and Blind Pension with a contributory and non-contributory stream.
I want to emphasise that nobody will have their payment reduced. We want to increase people’s payments and to provide more employment supports for those who can and want to work.
For people who cannot supplement their income with work, they will receive a higher payment rate, set at the State Pension Contributory rate. People with the greatest capacity to work will remain on the current Disability Allowance rate and will be offered employment supports appropriate to their needs. People with a more limited capacity to work will be placed in the middle tier and their payment will be half-way between the other two levels. They will also be offered appropriate employment and training supports. No one will have their payment reduced. Many will receive a significant increase in their payment of €45 per week.
Reforms also aim to address the inconsistencies and anomalies in the current system, such as the qualifying age, medical criteria and in-work supports. The qualifying age for adult disability payments would be standardised to 18. In parallel with this, the payment of Domiciliary Care Allowance would be extended to age 18 with transitional arrangements in place for the initial years.
The eligibility criteria for access onto the new Personal Support Payment would also be standardised.
And finally, the Paper proposes the introduction of a standardised in-work income support, the Working Age Payment. This support will be based the Working Family Payment which is a well established in-work support for low-earning families. It pays a fixed percentage of the difference between threshold earnings level and actual earnings.
The proposals of the Green Paper are not final. They represent a starting point for a structured discussion on what the future of long-term disability payments could look like. They are intended to invite discussion, debate and suggestions.
We are running a number of public consultation events over the next couple of months in Dublin, Athlone and Cork to gather the views of individuals and organisations. Individuals and organisations are welcome to make submissions in writing or videos in Irish Sign Language providing feedback on the proposals in the Green Paper and suggesting alternative proposals, until 15 December.
74. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing pro-rata pensions on the basis of the proportion of contributions made by the pensioner relative to qualifying number of such contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46440/23]
View answerThere are a number of payments and pensions paid by my Department to people over State Pension Age. One of these is the State Pension (Contributory) (SPC), qualification for which is based on a number of criteria, including a minimum of 520 qualifying social insurance contributions having been paid. For those who have paid the required contributions, these will be used in the calculation of their entitlements.
As the actuarial value of the State Pension is currently estimated at approximately €380,000, I believe it is reasonable to require people claiming a contributory pension to have made at least 10 years of paid contributions over the term of their working life, before qualifying for a payment.
Where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for SPC or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for one of the following:
• The means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory) (SPNC which is a means-tested payment (based on their share of household means) with a maximum payment of 95% of the SPC; or
• An increase for a qualified adult (based on their own means), amounting up to 90% of a full rate SPC pension where their spouse has a contributory pension; or
• Where their spouse/civil partner is deceased, a widow's/widower's/civil partner's contributory pension, which they may claim either based on their spouse's or their own social insurance record. The qualifying conditions for this require fewer contributions paid (260) than the SPC and the current maximum personal rate for those aged 66 or over is €265.30, i.e. the same as the maximum rate of the SPC, with allowances (notably the Living Alone Allowance) payable where applicable.
Where contributors enter insurable employment, either as employees or self-employed, after they have attained the age of 56 and have no entitlement to the SPC or SPNC, then the pension element of the contributions paid by both employed and self-employed contributors may be refunded.
In September 2022, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in response to the recommendations from the Pensions Commission. This set of measures represents the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.
One of the key measures is the introduction of a flexible pension system in Ireland. Under this new system, from January 2024, people will still be able to retire at 66 and draw-down their pension in exactly the same way as they can today. In addition, there will be new flexibility for those reaching State Pension age, so that people may choose to defer their pension, work longer and receive a higher pension payment, if they wish.
The flexible State Pension system is about providing people with choice. People will decide for themselves what best suits their needs and circumstances. For example, in the case of a person who reaches age 66 and does not have sufficient contributions to qualify for a full pension, they will now have the option to work for longer to build up additional entitlements.
If a person has less than 10 years PRSI reckonable paid contributions, they may be able to use this period of deferral to establish entitlement. A person will also have the option to continue working between age 66 and 70 and receive an actuarially based increase in their weekly payment rate, should they choose to defer their State Pension.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
75. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that after forty-five years of working, a person (details supplied) has no entitlement to anything between the ages of 65-66 years; the reason that Covid years have been counted when work was unavailable to the person; the reason that no discretion or flexibility was shown by her Department, given the person's date of birth, work record and contributions, which would mean that they were assessed on four years, 27 days, rather than five years, as per Article 48A; how she can ensure that this matter is remedied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41353/23]
View answerThe Benefit Payment for 65-Year-Olds, provided for under the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme, has been introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before the pension age of 66. The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at age 65 until they qualify for the State Pension at age 66.
To be eligible for the payment a person must satisfy the qualifying conditions of the scheme including the PRSI social insurance contribution requirements, which demonstrates a recent attachment to the workforce.
According to the Department’s records, the person concerned made a claim for Jobseeker’s Benefit on June 2017 and has not been in employment since this date and therefore did not meet the PRSI conditions.
I understand that the person concerned has since qualified for State Pension Contributory at the maximum personal rate of €265.30 per week, which will increase to €277.30 from next January 2024 as announced in Budget 2024.
76. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection what engagement she has had with disability groups in relation to the recent green paper on disability supports. [46394/23]
View answerThe Green Paper on Disability Reform is my Department's response to our commitment under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on proposals to restructure long-term disability payments and to simplify the system.
The Green Paper is a consultation document we developed to start a structured discussion with disabled people and stakeholder groups on what the future of long-term disability payments could look like. It is not a final reform design. The Green Paper is intended to invite discussion, debate and suggestions.
Nobody will lose their payment or have their payment reduced. We want to increase people’s payments or provide more employment supports for those who can and want to work.
Based on a conservative estimate, the Green Paper proposals, if introduced, would increase spending by more than €130 million per year.
I am very mindful of our commitment in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to consult closely with and actively involve disabled people and their representative groups in changes to policies and services that will impact them.
I briefed a number of disability groups and Disabled Persons' Organisations before launching the Green Paper and consultation in September. Last week we held a consultation event with stakeholders to discuss the proposals in the paper in more depth.
In addition, a number of public consultation events are taking place in Dublin Castle on 9 November, in Cork on 14 November and in Athlone on 23 November. We hope that disability groups, Disabled Persons' Organisations and members of the public will attend these events and share their views with us on the proposals. Depending on demand, my Department is happy to add more locations and more consultation events. My officials are also planning meetings with individual groups over the coming weeks.
It is essential that we hear from as many disabled people and representatives as possible. I can assure everyone that their voices will be heard. I engaged in similar consultations on pay-related benefit and pensions auto-enrolment which led to the revision of some key features. The same will apply here.
Individuals and groups are welcome to make a submissions until 15 December. They can do this in writing or by video in Irish Sign Language through our web page. My department has already received over 120 submissions from individuals which will feed into the final reform design.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
77. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that the Oireachtas Disability Group recently disclosed that people unable to work due to disability have the highest consistent poverty rates of all economic groupings, at 19.7%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32469/23]
View answerI am aware of the consistently high poverty rates among people who are unable to work due to a disability, as reported in the CSO’s 2022 Survey on Income and Living Conditions.
My department provides income supports to 220,000 people who cannot work due to a long-term illness or disability. The two main long-term payments are Disability Allowance and Invalidity Pension.
I am committed to addressing the challenges that people with disabilities face and improving their outcomes. In Budget 2024, I introduced a number of measures to assist people with disabilities:
• a €400 once-off payment for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and Carer’s Support Grant recipients in November 2023 to address the high cost of living.
• a Christmas Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment.
• a January Cost of Living Bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment.
• increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments by €12 from January 2024.
• expanded eligibility for Free Travel to those medically certified as unfit to drive.
However, there is also a need to reform our system of disability payments. In September, I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform to begin the conversation about improving these supports.
The aim of the Green Paper is two-fold: to encourage a higher level of employment for people with disabilities, which will improve their outcomes; and to better insulate disabled people who cannot work from poverty and deprivation.
The key proposal is to introduce a new long-term disability payment that has three tiers of payment with associated employment supports. This takes into consideration recommendations of the Cost of Disability report, which found that income supports should be differentiated by need and Government policy should facilitate employment among those who can work.
I would like to emphasise that nobody will have their payment reduced under these proposals.
The Green Paper is a starting point for discussion on the future of long-term disability payments. It is not a final design. The proposals in it are intended to invite discussion, debate and suggestions.
A series of consultation events will be held in November to allow people to learn more about the proposals and to provide feedback on them. Individuals and organisations are also encouraged to make submissions.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
