Vol. 439 No. 4
105 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Health if he will devise a scheme whereby arrangements can be made to give people who are invalided or who have a serious medical condition and whose spouses' means slightly exceed the limit for disabled person's maintenance allowance a reasonable allowance in view of the hardship involved; and if, in particular, he will examine the cases of persons (details supplied) in County Waterford.
Under section 69 of the Health Act, 1970, health boards, in assessing eligibility for disabled person's maintenance allowance, are obliged to have regard to the means of both the applicant and his-her spouse.
I am aware of differences between the assessment of means for disabled person's maintenance allowance and for social assistance schemes under the Department of Social Welfare. Some of these are more favourable to disabled person's maintenance allowance applicants, most notably in the means assessment of disabled people living at home with their parents where the value of board and lodgings is not taken into account. In contrast, the value of board and lodgings is taken into account in assessing eligibility for unemployment assistance.
I am, however, concerned that assessment of spouse's earnings is less favourable under the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme. My Department is examining the cost implications of bringing the method of assessing spouse's earnings under the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme into line with arrangements that apply to social assistance schemes operated by the Department of Social Welfare.
