The qualifying conditions for the payment of disability benefit are that a person is under 66 years of age, unfit for work due to illness and satisfies the PRSI contribution conditions. Persons over the age of 66 are not insurable under the Social Welfare Acts for disability benefit purposes and the age limit for receipt of disability benefit is 66 years.
There is a general rule in the social welfare code whereby a person who is entitled to more than one payment at any one time may only receive one of these payments. However, there are some exceptions to this rule which includes, historically, the treatment of persons in receipt of blind pension. A person in receipt of a blind pension aged under 66 who has sufficient PRSI contributions may also be eligible to receive disability benefit, unemployment benefit, maternity benefit, adoptive benefit, or health and safety benefit. Alternatively, they may concurrently receive widow's or widower's pension or one-parent family payment. However, once a person reaches 66 years of age, only one payment may be made.
The payment rate of blind pension increases at age 66 years or over from a maximum personal rate of €148.80 per week to a maximum rate of €166.00, with increases per week for qualified adults and/or dependants. This payment rate is equivalent to the rate of old age non-contributory pension. If the person qualifies for payment of the old age contributory pension, this is paid at a higher rate. Entitlement to extra benefits such as the free travel pass and household benefits package also applies to these payments. In cases of exceptional need, assistance is available under the supplementary welfare scheme, administered by the Health Services Executive. Any changes to current entitlements would have implications for other categories of social welfare recipients and would have to be considered in the context of the budgetary social welfare package.