Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are no plans to change the system of assessment for eligibility for either disability or carer’s allowance. Helping and supporting people with disabilities to access employment and so enhance their independence is one of the most important and challenging policy issues we face. The recently published Make Work Pay report produced by an interdepartmental group included a number of recommendations relating to the disability allowance payment. The Government has decided to implement some of these while others will require further reflection and a consultation process with disability groups, which my Department has commenced.

I announced a number of immediate changes at the launch of the report in April including a measure to ensure that people with a long-term disability payment who move off the payment to get a job will retain their free travel pass for a period of five years. This is an improvement on the three-year period recommended in the report. This change has now been implemented. I also accepted the report's recommendation to dispense with the requirement that work be of a "rehabilitative nature" for the disability allowance, DA, earnings disregard. Legislation to give effect to this change is included in the forthcoming Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2017.

The income disregard and means test for carers is one of the least onerous within the social protection system. The amount of weekly income that is currently not taken into account is €332.50. In the case of the income of a married couple, civil partners or cohabitants, the first €665 of their combined weekly income is disregarded. A couple under 66 with two children earning a joint annual income of up to €35,400 can qualify for the maximum payment of carer's allowance while such a couple earning €59,300 will still qualify for the minimum rate.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers and people with disabilities under review. Any improvements or additions to these supports would have to be considered in the context of future budgets. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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