Dáil debates

Wednesday, 15 December 2021

Social Welfare Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages

 

5:12 pm

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 8, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “Report on the means-testing for Blind Pension and Disability Allowance

14.The Minister shall prepare and lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the means testing eligibility requirement for Blind Pension and Disability Allowance and the impact that income threshold limitations have on access to these schemes and that the report shall be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection within nine months of the passing of this Act.”.

I have also raised this issue with the Minister previously. The amendment relates to the job of work of a report on the means-testing of the blind pension and disability allowance, which can both cause major difficulties for those who are trying to apply for and obtain either payment and those who are already in receipt of a payment. The means test and the income limitations can cause difficulties to people who rely on these payments. This would be a really useful piece of work for her Department to take on. The matter has been raised by a number of the relevant organisations. Many times when speaking about the blind pension I have given the example of a person who is blind for life. I always refer to the woman who came into my constituency office with her partner. He had got a promotion at work and an increased wage and she lost her blind pension. She is blind but not entitled to the blind pension. That is wrong. I am not sure of the numbers, the cost and so on, and I appreciate that all of that has to be taken into consideration, but when a person is blind, he or she should be entitled to the blind pension.

I welcome the publication of the cost of disability report last week. However, taking blindness as an example, there is a cost to that. A person who is blind and in receipt of the blind pension should be able to retain that payment. That is really important. The issue of income and the means test for the disability allowance is one that comes up all the time. The cost of disability payment, when introduced, will of course make a difference. However, there are issues overall with the blind pension and disability allowance when it comes to the means test. It would be worthwhile if the Minister's Department would undertake some kind of exercise in relation to the means test, similar to that which I have called for elsewhere. The amendment provides that the Minister will prepare and publish a report within nine months of the passing of the Act, which is a fair period of time. Engagement with the sector will be important. I ask that the Minister consider, in some form, what is being requested in this amendment.

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