Vol. 458 No. 3
63 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health if he will grant disabled person's maintenance allowance to patients who are hospitalised or living in residential care and are means tested to enable patients to contribute to their own treatment and retain some independence. [17055/95]
Limerick East): Disabled person's maintenance allowance (DPMA) is the primary income support scheme operated by my Department for people who, because of their disability, cannot maintain themselves in the community. The regulations governing eligibility for this allowance specify that a maintenance allowance shall not be payable to a person who resides in a health facility. However, where a disabled person's maintenance allowance recipient is admitted to a health facility, payment of the allowance is continued by a health board for the period during which the person is maintained in the institution subject to a maximum of eight weeks in any calendar year. A health facility is defined in the regulations as a hospital, convalescent home or home for people suffering from physical or mental disability or ancillary accommodation, nursing home for the care and maintenance of dependent elderly people and any other similar establishment providing residence, maintenance or care where the cost of a person's maintenance therein is being met in whole or in part by or on behalf of a health board.
The reason a person in long-term institutional care does not continue to receive a disabled person's maintenance allowance allowance is that his/her essential maintenance requirements are being met. I understand that in the case of a person admitted to a health facility on a short-term basis who forfeits entitlement to disabled person's maintenance allowance, consideration is given by health boards to assisting with any financial commitments — such as rent allowance — by way of supplementary welfare allowance. In addition, a pocket money allowance may be payable by a health board to a person who is admitted to a health facility if that person has no means to support their day to day financial requirements.
As the Deputy may be aware, disabled person's maintenance allowance is in the process of being transferred to the Department of Social Welfare. Responsibility for the payment of disabled person's maintenance allowance transferred to the Department of Social Welfare on 1 August 1995, and it is expected that responsibility for the administration of disabled person's maintenance allowance will transfer to Social Welfare in early 1996. I have no plans to change the eligibility criteria for disabled person's maintenance allowance pending this transfer but I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the attention of my colleague, the Minister for Social Welfare.
64 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health his views on whether a person disabled from birth or who became disabled while not in insured employment such as women working in the home should have the same allowances as people who become disabled in the course of employment. [17057/95]
Limerick East): Persons who are disabled from birth or who are not in insurable employment when becoming disabled receive disabled person's maintenance allowance (DPMA). The current maximum rate of disabled person's maintenance allowance is £62.50 per week. Persons in insurable employment who become disabled may qualify for disability benefit or invalidity pension. The weekly rate of disability benefit is the same as disabled person's maintenance allowance while the rate for invalidity pension is slightly higher at £64.20. However, it should be noted that disabled person's maintenance allowance recipients usually also qualify for the following additional benefits: free travel, free electricity allowance, free bottled gas, free television licence, free telephone rental allowance free fuel and footwear for children. Because of these additional benefits many people with disability eligible for disability benefit or invalidity pension, opt for disabled person's maintenance allowance.
