Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 9

Written Answers. - Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance.

Patrick D. Harte

Ceist:

228 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance cannot claim for a member of the family under 18 years if the member is working for a wage; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that a person of similar circumstances but in receipt of unemployment assistance can claim for a member of the family under 18 if that member is earning a wage; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the income of the wife of a person in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance will be taken into consideration under the scheme but income allowances are allowed in the case of a wife's earnings under the employment assistance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1559/94]

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The regulations governing payment of disabled person's maintenance allowance provide for payment of a child dependent allowance in respect of a person under the age of 18 where that person normally resides with and is being wholly or mainly maintained by the disabled person's maintenance allowance recipient. As a person in receipt of a wage is not being so maintained, he/she would not qualify for a dependent allowance under the existing regulations.

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.