Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Senator covered a number of issues relating to the costs of disability. The Indecon report on that subject shows there are other factors too that we need to consider in the context of how we support people with disabilities. It is not just the social welfare payment that we need to count; there are other issues and there are other areas where supports are available. Some areas where we may need to increase supports include housing, equipment, aids and appliances, mobility, transport, communications, medicines, care and assisted services and additional living expenses. They are the issues being examined.

I appreciate the Senator was referring to the costs of disability vis-à-visthe gap in respect of the payment, but we must take into consideration all the other supports that are provided in addition. In this year’s budget, as she will be aware, I made some specific changes regarding the disability allowance and the wage subsidy scheme, such as the €5 increase in the maximum weekly rate of the disability allowance, with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate and an increase of €25 in the earnings threshold above which means are fully assessed in order that persons can earn up to €375 per week before they will lose all their entitlements from the disability allowance and the blind pension. There was also an increase in the general weekly means disregard entry point for the disability allowance from €2.50 to €7.60, a considerable increase. The effect of this measure will be to increase the weekly rate of payment by up to €5 per week for disability allowance recipients who have no means. As for the wage subsidy scheme based subsidy paid to employers that employ people with a disability, there was an increase from €5.30 to €6.30 per hour, effective since January.

Expenditure on the illness, disability and the carer's payment is estimated to amount to €4.9 billion in 2022, representing 21.1% of the total departmental expenditure. It accounts for approximately 27.9% of gross Vote expenditure and 13.6% of total Social Insurance Fund expenditure. A Christmas bonus was paid to certain long-term social welfare recipients in 2021, including all recipients of the carer's payment, the disability allowance, the blind pension, the invalidity pension and the domiciliary care allowance, at a cost of €74 million. Moreover, the number of people with disabilities whom we pay, and the sums we pay them, increases every year, which shows the Government is committed to provide supports for people with disabilities. The Senator spoke about the retention of the free travel pass for five years for people with a long-term disability who are in receipt of the disability allowance to allow them to take up employment. This too is intended to bridge the gap between the costs of disability and the supports we are providing.

In addition, the Department of Health has introduced a process that enables persons in receipt of the disability allowance payment to have a greater earnings capacity while retaining their medical card. Indeed, the medical card earnings disregard increased from €120 to €427 per week. These are just some of the other measures being taken outside of my Department to support people with disabilities. What is most important is that they are able to get back into work because that in itself will improve their income and prospects and that is what I am especially focused on. We do that through a number of programmes, such as the employability programme, jobs clubs or the ability programme. There are many programmes designed to help people with disabilities, particularly young people, to transition into work. We are putting all these structures in place to encourage them to do that.

The Senator mentioned difficulties faced by women in particular. We introduced the rent supplement for victims of domestic violence, for which there is no means test for the first three months given that, as we all know, it is a very difficult decision for a woman to leave the family home. Of course, it is not always a woman but in the majority of cases it is. We wanted to help them by not requiring them to go through a means test to get the rent supplement to help them move out in what can often be very difficult circumstances. They will then have the option of applying for the housing assistance payment, HAP, which is a long-term support, after six months. That has been very positively received. A total of 200 women are on the scheme already, that is, 200 women who were enabled to leave their homes, in what must have been very difficult circumstances, and find alternative accommodation.

I hope I have covered all the questions the Senator asked.