Seán Sherlock
Ceist:382. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine a matter (details supplied). [22492/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 21 May 2024
Ceisteanna (382)
Freagraí scríofa
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
My Department is committed to making services and information accessible to all, irrespective of age, ability, or disability. The primary information sources include local Intreo Centres, Social Welfare Offices, and Citizens Information Centres, where staff are available to assist.
Where someone is experiencing financial difficulties, they should contact their Local Intreo Centre, as they may be eligible for a payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, including an Exceptional Needs Payment for essential expenses.
My Department’s communications adhere to guidelines from the Customer Communications Toolkit for the Public Service and the Plain English Style Guide for the Public Service. We collaborate with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) to ensure our materials are accessible. Furthermore Gov.ie strives to meet AA Standards of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 to enhance accessibility. We continuously update our content based on user feedback and reduce the use of PDFs due to their challenges with assistive technology. My Department also has Access Officers dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities. Contact information for our Access Officers is available on gov.ie.
Regarding the means test for Disability Allowance, this includes income and assets from various sources, with specific disregards and assessments. The Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is a continued entitlement. Without specific customer details, a comprehensive response cannot be provided to address this person’s means enquiry.
If the Deputy wishes to provide the details of his constituent's case, I will ask my officials to examine the specific payment entitlement.