Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 July 2024
458. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to reassess the means test for social protection payments with a view to increasing the disregard for both individuals and for joint applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29092/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMeans test rules in my Department are kept under regular review and I have introduced a number of significant changes in recent years including:
• Providing for higher income disregards. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, their income from work to the level of the income disregard, is not assessed in the means test.
• Expanding the list of agri-environmental schemes that qualify for a disregard, and as part of Budget 2023 I increased this disregard.
• Introduced a Rent a Room disregard, for all Social Protection schemes, to enable recipients to support those arriving from Ukraine, and others, in a tight housing market. Earlier this year, I extended that provision for a further two years.
• From January 2023, I introduced significant changes to eligibility rules for Fuel Allowance, including a new means threshold for people aged 70 years and over - €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple. These changes resulted in an additional 35,000 households joining the scheme so far.
• I also significantly increased the income and capital disregards for Carer's Allowance. This enables more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for the scheme and allows carers and their families to earn more from employment while retaining their carer’s payment.
As part of Budget 2024, I further increased the Carer's Allowance disregard to €450 for a single person, and €900 for carers with a spouse/partner from June.
I have committed to a carrying out a broad review of means testing.
This review is ongoing and the outcome of the review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing, including in the run up to Budget 2025, although all prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.
