Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 10 Feb 1994

Vol. 438 No. 6

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

116 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Health the grounds on which a person may qualify for disabled person's maintenance allowance; if regulations pertaining to qualification for this allowance are more stringent than those in respect of disability benefit or invalidity pensions; if so, in what respect; if his attention has been drawn to instances where persons failed to qualify for disabled person's maintenance allowance but did qualify for disability/invalidity pension and/or vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

Disabled person's maintenance allowance, is a weekly allowance paid by health boards to disabled persons over 16 years of age and is subject to both a medical and means test. To qualify medically a person must, by reason of disability, be substantially handicapped in undertaking work of a kind which, if he-she were not suffering from that disability, would be suited to his-her age, experience and qualifications. The disability must be expected to last at least one year from its onset.

The conditions governing entitlement to disabled person's maintenance allowance and the social welfare benefits mentioned by the Deputy are not comparable in that eligibility for disabled person's maintenance allowance, other than medical qualification, is based on a means test whereas entitlement to social welfare benefits is dependent on contributions being made by the applicant under the Social Welfare Acts.