Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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128. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a person's holiday home is taken into consideration under the means assessment when applying for disability allowance. [8858/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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In the case of means-tested payments from my Department, such as disability allowance (DA), applicants are assessed with any cash income, property other than the home, and capital (such as savings, shares and investments). For all means-tested schemes, there is an initial amount of capital that is disregarded for means assessment purposes. For most schemes this disregard is €20,000 but, in the case of DA, it is €50,000. This ensures that a DA applicant with €50,000 in savings (and no other means) can be assessed as having nil means and, as a result, receive the maximum rate of DA.

Capital (savings and investments) and the value of property owned but not personally used or enjoyed is assessed as means. Where capital or property is assessed on this basis, any income received from its use (e.g. interest on savings, dividends from shares, rent from property) is not assessed as cash income.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if mortgage payments can be taken into consideration under a person's means assessment when applying for disability allowance. [8859/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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In the case of means-tested payments from my Department, such as disability allowance (DA), applicants are assessed with any cash income, property other than the home, and capital (such as savings, shares and investments). For all means-tested schemes, there is an initial amount of capital that is disregarded for means assessment purposes. For most schemes this disregard is €20,000 but, in the case of DA, it is €50,000.

How the means assessment applied is set down in legislation and deciding officers are obliged to follow this legislation. There are disregards applied to every means assessment which allow for general costs. There is no disregard allowable specifically for mortgage repayments on the family home. If the mortgage repayments are on a second property, the means are assessed at the current market value of the property less any mortgage owed. The balance is then assessed as income.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.