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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 6 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 5

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

126 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the abolition of the disabled persons maintenance allowance; and if he will outline the differences between the disabled persons maintenance allowance and the disability allowance due in October 1996. [11882/96]

The disabled persons maintenance allowance scheme is not being abolished. The scheme is being improved and renamed disability allowance and responsibility for the administration of the scheme is being transferred from health boards to my Department. The transfer will take place later this year under powers given in the Social Welfare Act, 1996.

People who are currently in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance will be automatically transferred to disability allowance and any existing entitlement to secondary benefits — free travel, electricity allowance, telephone rental, television licence, fuel allowance — will continue. The Act also makes provision for a number of improvements in the scheme. The means test is being improved in relation to the assessment of capital, including a disregard of the first £2,000 and in relation to the assessment of the earnings of a working spouse where a disregard on the lines of that applying for unemployment assistance will apply to disability allowance.
In addition to a more favourable means assessment, persons in receipt of disability allowance will also benefit from the following improvements: two full personal rates of payment will be paid where both of a couple are eligible for the allowance, a couple in this situation currently receive the rate appropriate to a person with an adult dependant; where a customer is admitted to hospital, payment of disability allowance will continue for 13 weeks, this is currently restricted to eight weeks in any calendar year; if a dependent child remains in full-time education, an increase will be paid in respect of himher up to 22 years of age, currently an increase is paid to 21 years only; a dependent child allowance will no longer be terminated if the child is in hospital for more than eight weeks; customers who are dissatisfied with a decision on their claim may make an appeal to the social welfare appeals office.
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