Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2024
95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is intended to introduce changes to means testing based on the report being prepared by her Department on means testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7780/24]
View answer108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made to date with the review of means testing of social protection schemes; when the report arising from this review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7779/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 108 together.
My Department keeps means tests under regular review and there have been a number of significant changes made in this area in recent years.
These include:
• Providing for higher earnings disregards for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and One-Parent Family.
• Expanding the list of agri-environmental schemes that qualify for a disregard, which was increased in recent Budgets.
• The introduction of the Rent a Room disregard, to enable recipients to support those arriving from Ukraine, and others, in a tight housing market.
• In 2023, I introduced significant changes to means eligibility rules for Fuel Allowance which have resulted in over 35,000 additional households joining the scheme so far.
• In 2022, I 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 payment. As part of Budget 2024 I further increased the disregard to €450 for a single person, and €900 for couples from June of this year.
• I recently introduced an income disregard linked to UCD's largest scholarship programme;
I have initiated a review of means testing in the Department and this review is underway. It is aimed to be completed in Quarter 1, 2024 and for it to be submitted for my consideration. It is my intention that the report will be published once I have considered it in detail. I will use the outcome of the review to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing, including in the run up to Budget 2025.
As I am sure the Deputy is aware, all prospective changes to means testing arrangements have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
