Written answers

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Benefits

Photo of Ivana BacikIvana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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426. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she intends to develop further supports and services to address the needs of children and adults with autism; and if the implementation of such services and supports will be informed by feedback from members of the autism community. [36230/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability.  It is important to note that entitlement to these supports is generally not contingent on the nature of the illness or disability but on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.  My Department spent an estimated of €4.8 billion on illness, disability and caring payments in 2021. 

In addition to income supports, my Department provides a wide range of services and supports to assist jobseekers with a disability to find work and to incentivise employers to recruit them support them in employment.

Disability-related income schemes have been designed to support people with disabilities to enter or return to employment or self-employment.  Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment.  When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week and 50% of earnings between €140 and €375 per week are disregarded in the means test.  The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme allows a person who has been in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit to enter or return to employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment.  

The Back To Work Enterprise Allowance has been designed to support persons, including persons with disabilities, to become self-employed. Customers retain a percentage of their income support payment for up to 2 years.

My Department provides a case managed employment service to jobseekers, including those with disabilities, who seek support from their local Intreo Centre.  They work with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available.  Intreo also delivers a recruitment and job matching service for employers. 

Employment programmes such as Community Employment and the Work Placement Experience Programme provide valuable stepping stones into sustainable employment.  My Department also contracts AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) to deliver the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) and ‘Get Ahead’ Programmes on its behalf.  These programmes provide paid work experience and other supports for graduates with disabilities seeking to enter or re-enter employment.

Funding is also available through the Training Support Grant to help the person access private sector training providers. 

As part of our commitments under the Pathways to Work Strategy and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy, my Department will shortly commence an early engagement approach that will see the Intreo service proactively engaging with persons with a disability at the earliest opportunity, to offer support and assistance to help them enter or return to employment.  The process will initially focus on persons aged 18 to 22 in receipt of Disability Allowance, before being expanded to other age groups and schemes.  

My Department also contracts for the provision of Local Area Employment Services.  Providers deliver a case-managed employment service for all jobseekers, including those with disabilities.   

My Department recognises the additional challenges that some jobseekers with disabilities may experience in securing and maintaining employment, and contracts for the provision of specialist employment services (EmployAbility) to help address this.  A jobseeker with a disability who is working with their Intreo case officer (or LEAS provider) may be referred to these service providers if it is agreed that they would benefit from the type of services and support provided.  Jobseekers work with a job coach who provides both pre-employment and in-employment support and assistance.  Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers.

My Department also provides a range of services and supports for employers to recruit/retain jobseekers with a disability, including financial incentives under the Wage Subsidy Scheme and Reasonable Accommodation Fund Grants.  The Disability Awareness Support Scheme provides funding for employers to pay for disability awareness training for staff who work with a colleague with a disability.

My Department has installed autism supportive sensory rooms in a number of locations.  The first room, in Limerick, arose from an Autism Initiative in 2019 by local Department staff in conjunction with local autism organisations.  The intention was to make the journey for our customers and their dependents more amenable to their place on the spectrum.  It was a bottom-up idea and reflects the culture and values of engaged and innovative staff and was driven by a committed group on the ground.

As part of a rolling programme of maintenance in Intreo Centres, rooms will be provided in every Intreo Centre where this is feasible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Photo of Christopher O'SullivanChristopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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427. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a disability allowance application by a person (details supplied) will be processed in the coming weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36244/22]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I confirm that an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 24 March 2022.

The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.

The application has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 06 April 2022 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances.  Following further recent contact with the Inspectors office, the claim has been assigned to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for an urgent assessment.  Once the SWI has submitted his/her report, a decision will be made on the application as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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