Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:775. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a proposal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48561/23]
View answerTuesday, 7 November 2023
Questions (775)
Written answers
In September, I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform to begin the conversation on improving long-term disability payments. I am strongly committed to disability reform and to ensuring the provision of improved income and employment supports for people with disabilities.
I would like to emphasise that the Green Paper is not a final design. It offers one possible approach on how to target limited resources. The proposals are intended to invite discussion, debate, and suggestions.
The Green Paper was developed as a response to commitments under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion, concerns raised in the Pathways to Work Strategy and the Make Work Pay report, and recommendations in the Cost of Disability report.
The aim of the Green Paper is two-fold. It seeks (1) to encourage a higher level of employment for people with disabilities, which will improve their outcomes; and (2) to better insulate disabled people who cannot work from poverty and deprivation.
The Green Paper aims to achieve this through its main proposal of a three-tiered Personal Support Payment, rather than the one-size-fits all payment we currently have.
People who cannot supplement their income with work 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 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 tiers.
The proposed tiered system takes into consideration the recommendations of the Cost of Disability report, which found that income supports should be differentiated by need and that government policy should facilitate employment among those who can and want to work.
It is important to highlight that under these proposals nobody will lose their payment or have their payment reduced. The objective is to increase people’s payments and provide more employment supports. At a conservative estimate, the measures, if introduced, would cost an additional €130 million each year.
The Green Paper also addresses inconsistencies and anomalies in the current disability payment 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 line with this, Domiciliary Care Allowance would be extended to age 18 with transitional arrangements initially in place.
The Paper also proposes introducing a standardised in-work income support, the Working Age Payment. This support would be based on the Working Family Payment, which is a well-established in-work support for low-earning families. The payment is based on a fixed percentage of the difference between a threshold earnings level and actual earnings.
It is essential that we hear from as many disabled people and representatives as possible by the closing date of the consultation, which is the 15th December. I encourage all those with an interest to express their views in our public consultation by making a submission or attending one of our public consultation events in Dublin, Cork, and Athlone this month.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.