Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The consistent message we hear from witnesses who come before us relates to the cost of disability. We have one of the highest levels of people with disabilities at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Many live in consistent poverty and deprivation. The Minister referenced the Indecon report her Department had carried out. What measures are being taken to address the findings of that report? More specifically, what action is being taken to support disabled people who are struggling with the cost of living? The Minister talked about the increases provided in budget 2022. Those increases are welcome but inflation had overtaken them long before the current crisis even descended upon us. Disabled people needs supports immediately.

We also have one of the highest levels of unemployment in Europe among our disabled people. Everything should be done to encourage employment, but many people are reluctant to take up work due to fear of the loss of their core payment and secondary benefits. We need to look at that. The Minister referenced that the disregard for disability allowance and blind pension increased by €20 to €140, but €140 is not sufficient, along with the pension, to live on. Many people are also fearful of losing their medical cards. Will the Minister look at that again. Will she talk to the people who are self-employed, who want to establish their own businesses, who are entrepreneurs and who do not feel the supports are there? The back-to-work schemes are not tailored to the person; they are set at a number of years rather than around what the person needs and how long he or she needs to get back into work. Artists and musicians work is often on a commission basis. These people afraid to take up commissions because they will lose their core payment of the blind pension or the disability payment. Could that be structured differently in order that it might be looked at on a yearly basis instead of a weekly or monthly basis?

The Minister also talked about the number of claims for disability allowance that were refused. There were more than 28,000 claims made in 2021 and only 13,000 of them were awarded. I would be concerned about that. Many of them are not appealed. That is because people may not know how to lodge appeals. We need to ensure that the mechanism for making the application in the first place is easy to read and is structured, or that the supports are put in place for disabled people to make applications and that they are aware that they can appeal it and that they know how to do that. Another big issue we come across is the lack of knowledge regarding entitlements and how to apply in respect of the different schemes or supports that are there.

Senator Seery Kearney mentioned the means-tested payment and the effect it has on disabled women. Disabled women came before us and stated that the prevalence of domestic violence against disabled women is higher than against women generally. Often, the reason they do not leave is the lack of independence because they are means tested against their partner's income and therefore do not have a payment of their own. Could this be revised in order that if a person is receiving a disability payment or blind pension that the spouse's income could be looked at to be taxed at a higher rate. Could it be done in such a way that the disabled person would still be able to claim their own payment and rely on that? When people get to pensionable age, many women want their own money and sometimes they are not allowed to have their it because their partners are still working and earning, and their pensions are means tested against that.

The final point I want to make relates to the time it takes to process the carer's allowance. It takes upward of four months. That is an inordinate length of time. Could that be looked at as well in order to make matters easier?