Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2017
129. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if mortgage payments can be taken into consideration under a person's means assessment when applying for disability allowance. [8859/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the case of means-tested payments from my Department, such as disability allowance (DA), applicants are assessed with any cash income, property other than the home, and capital (such as savings, shares and investments). For all means-tested schemes, there is an initial amount of capital that is disregarded for means assessment purposes. For most schemes this disregard is €20,000 but, in the case of DA, it is €50,000.
How the means assessment applied is set down in legislation and deciding officers are obliged to follow this legislation. There are disregards applied to every means assessment which allow for general costs. There is no disregard allowable specifically for mortgage repayments on the family home. If the mortgage repayments are on a second property, the means are assessed at the current market value of the property less any mortgage owed. The balance is then assessed as income.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
