Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 166: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on increasing the number of hours which a person who is in receipt of invalidity pension can engage upon in productive work, from its current level of 19 hours, to at least 22 or 23 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15905/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Invalidity pension is a social insurance based payment paid to people who are permanently incapable of work due to disability or illness. One of the conditions for receipt of the payment is that the recipient does not engage in any form of employment. However, an exemption to this requirement is provided for in very specific circumstances. Such an exemption, which typically lasts for 12 months, will normally take the form of employment which is deemed by the Department to be both part-time (i.e. not more than 19.5 hours per week) and rehabilitative in nature or, alternatively, a community employment scheme or a training course arranged by FÁS. An application for such an exemption must be made to the Department in advance of the employment or training course beginning.

This exemption from the general rules of behaviour was introduced for a very specific purpose, namely to allow persons who are regarded as permanently incapable of work to engage in training or part time, rehabilitative employment which would increase the opportunity for them to return to the open labour market. To increase the hours which the claimant would be allowed work, as suggested by the Deputy, would blur the distinction between part-time, rehabilitative employment and full-time, open labour market employment.

For those persons in receipt of invalidity pension who wish to work more than 20 hours per week or move towards full time employment, the back to work allowance may be a more appropriate mechanism to achieve this. This allowance ensures that the claimant will retain a portion of their payment, including any secondary benefits, for a period of 3 years following their return to employment. Moreover, if the person feels they are unable to continue with their employment and wishes to return to benefit, their entitlement to invalidity pension will be automatically restored without the need to re-apply for the pension.