Written answers

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Disability Services

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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460. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the difference in the means test for the blind pension and the disability allowance; her plans to standardise the blind pension means test to that prevailing for the disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15799/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is important to note that the two schemes already have many similarities, but that differences exist that reflect the background to both.

Disability Allowance was introduced in 1996 and replaced the Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance which had been administered by the Health Boards. While the Blind Pension is a unique scheme in that it is the only social welfare payment which has been introduced to cater for a specific disability, it was originally legislated for under the Blind Person’s Act, 1920 and was initially available only to those between 50 and 70 years. The minimum qualifying age has progressively been reduced to its current level of 18 years. Persons become eligible to apply for the Disability Allowance at age 16.

Both are means tested schemes and both have a habitual residency requirement.

Eligibility for Disability Allowance requires that the disability must be expected to last for at least one year, substantially restricting a person’s ability to undertake work which would otherwise be suitable for persons of similar age, experience, and qualification.

Eligibility for the Blind Pension requires that a person’s vision is impaired to such an extent that they cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or cannot continue in their ordinary occupation.

Both schemes are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment. In the means test, both schemes have an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €350 are also disregarded, i.e., 50% of earnings in this band are disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Earnings above €350 are currently assessed at 100%.

Budget 2022 measures, will see from June:

-An increase in the upper disregard of €25 per week, from €350 to €375 for both payments; and

-An increase of €5.10 being applied to the general weekly means disregard entry point for the Disability Allowance. This increase will bring the entry point of the weekly means disregard for Disability Allowance in line with that of the Blind Pension, at €7.60 per week.

In addition to the age at which a person becomes eligible, there are a number of other differences between the schemes, for example, relating to aspects of the means test, access to the free travel scheme and the concurrent payments available to persons in receipt of the Blind Pension.

Under Pathways to Work (2021 – 2025) the Government has committed to “Review the current long-term disability payment schemes with a view to removing inconsistencies/anomalies and ensure that they recognise the continuum of disabilities and support employment.” I would hope to bring forward proposals on this issue for public consultation later this year.

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