Vol. 573 No. 3
727 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of recipients of disability allowance who have been found to be medically fit for work in each of the past 12 months and on an annual basis for the past five years. [25072/03]
728 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of recipients of disability allowance who have been assessed as medically fit for work and who appealed the decision in each of the past 12 months and on an annual basis for the past five years. [25073/03]
729 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of appeals by recipients of disability allowance against medical assessments that found them fit to work which were successful in each of the past 12 months and on an annual basis for the past five years. [25074/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 727, 728 and 729 together.
Continued entitlement to disability allowance is subject to the person concerned satisfying both the means test and medical eligibility criteria which apply. The medical eligibility conditions require that a person continues to have a disability as a result of which their employment capacity is substantially restricted.
In common with all social welfare schemes there is a review process in place for disability allowance to ensure that the conditions of entitlement relating to means, medical conditions etc., continue to be fulfilled. The criteria for referral of cases for review are considered periodically having regard to the outcome of previous activity, and to ensure that resources for this purpose are used in a targeted and cost effective way. In recent times review activity in relation to disability allowance has been concentrated to a greater degree on the areas of means reviews, concurrent working and claiming, and financial circumstances generally.
During the past five years, medical reviews of entitlement have resulted in disallowance of disability allowance in the following number of cases: 250 in 1999; 230 in 2000; 19 in 2001; seven in 2002 and ten in 2003 to date.
In all cases where a person is disallowed on medical grounds they are informed of the decision, the reason for it and their right of appeal to the social welfare appeals office. The number of persons in receipt of disability allowance whose appeals in relation to medical eligibility were allowed by the social welfare appeals office over the past five years is as follows: four in 1999; nine in 2000; three in 2001; 16 in 2002 and six in 2003 to date.
