Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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376. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means test for disability allowance to bring it into line with the means test for the medical card which allows for outgoings in respect of rent or mortgage payments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20740/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Department operates a range of means tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares and other investments.

It is in the nature of means tested schemes that there is no entitlement to a payment once means exceed a given amount. The weekly entitlement of the person is the maximum weekly rate of payment for the relevant family less the means calculated. In calculating the means of a person, no account is taken of any outgoings such as rent or mortgage payments.

To do so would, for example, be of no benefit to a person who had no income or assets as the entitlement would be the maximum weekly rate of payment applicable to the family concerned. If the relevant outgoings were taken into account, the persons who would benefit would be those who had income or assets of varying levels and, accordingly, such persons would be treated more favourably than persons who had fewer or no personal resources.

It should be noted that eligibility for income support (such as Disability Allowance) is quite distinct from eligibility for a medical card, and that any proposal to change the means assessment for Disability Allowance (and similar means tested schemes) would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may be of assistance to persons under financial pressure as a result of their mortgage repayments. The MABS office in Sligo is based in Carbury House, Fish Quay in Sligo town and can be reached on telephone at 0761 07 2730.