Written answers

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Blind Person's Pension

Photo of Paul DonnellyPaul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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563. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the threshold for receipt of the blind pension paid by her Department will be reassessed for artists and musicians given that their work is precarious and can exceed the limit some weeks but be far below for consecutive weeks at a time. [11955/21]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Blind Pension (BP) is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments and is paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged between 18 and 66, who are habitually resident in the State.

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. All cash income to the person (and, where relevant, to the person's spouse, civil partner or cohabitant) is assessed, except for income which is disregarded under legislation. For the Blind Pension, the first €120 of weekly income from employment is disregarded, while half of earnings between €120 and €350 are assessed. From June 2021, the first €140 will be disregarded.

Income is assessed on an annual basis, and then divided by 52 to ascertain a person’s weekly means. The means assessment is intended to reflect the income the person may reasonably be expected to receive during the coming 12 months. Where this is not ascertainable otherwise, the income for the last 12 months can be taken as a guide, allowing for any factors which it is known will vary. Assessing a person’s income in this manner takes account of the fact that some people’s income is irregular, and they will earn more during some periods than others.

Any changes to means assessments for schemes, including the Blind Pension, can only be considered within an overall budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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