Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 May 2018
263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension refused by her Department in each of the past five years to date; if receipt of a disability allowance for a period of more than one year is no longer regarded as creating an eligibility for invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19514/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table shows the number of Invalidity Pension (IP) claims disallowed for each of the years 2013 to 2017.
INVALIDITY PENSION CLAIMS
|
Year |
Disallowed |
|
2013 |
8,546 |
|
2014 |
5,496 |
|
2015 |
5,070 |
|
2016 |
3,909 |
|
2017 |
4,544 |
IP is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the social insurance contribution conditions.
From 01 December 2017, to qualify for IP, a person must have a total of 260 weeks PRSI paid and 48 weeks PRSI paid or credited at classes A, E ,H or S in the last or second last complete tax year before date of claim.
The medical qualifying condition for Invalidity Pension is that a person must be regarded as being permanently incapable of work. A person is regarded as being permanently incapable of work if;
For the period of one year immediately before the date of application the person has been continuously incapable of work and a Deciding Officer or an Appeals Officer is satisfied that the person is likely to continue to be incapable of work for at least another year
or
a Deciding Officer or an Appeals Officer is satisfied that the likelihood is that the person will be incapable of work for life.
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. As a result of this disability a person must be substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications.
The qualifying criteria for both schemes are different and the fact that a person satisfies the medical qualifying condition for DA does not meant that they will satisfy the medical qualifying condition for IP.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
