Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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149. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the documents which his Department consider as proof of the valuation of an additional property in the assessment of an additional property as part of a disability allowance application; if there is provision for his department to not assess an additional property if it is in an unfinished state (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/17]

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 is 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 an unfinished property. My department accepted the documentation provided by the claimant as proof of the valuation of the property. If the information provided is incorrect, it is open to the person in question to provide further documentation. On receipt of the updated information, my department will review their entitlement.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.