Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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519. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on assessing a person’s eligibility for certain payments, including the State pension non-contributory and disability allowance, entirely on their spouse’s income in cases where the person has no income or assets outside of their marriage; if her Department is considering altering or amending this policy particularly in view of the impact this can have on those in abusive relationships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51494/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Social welfare legislation provides that means tests take account of the income and assets of the person (and their spouse or partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme.  The means assessment includes income from sources such as employment, self-employment, occupational pensions and maintenance payments.  It also includes property owned other than the family home and capital such as savings, shares, and other investments.

State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. 

In the means assessment for a personal rate state pension non-contributory entitlement, the first €20,000 of capital an applicant holds is fully disregarded; the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.

For Disability Allowance, a claimant can work and earn up to €140 a week without their Disability Allowance payment being affected.  If a claimant earns more than €140 a week, 50% of their earnings between €140 and €375 will not be taken into account in the Disability Allowance means test.

For disability allowance, an applicant can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment; the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.

Introducing changes to the means test for Pension (Non- Contributory) or Disability Allowance would have significant budgetary implications and would give rise to inconsistencies in how means tests are applied across schemes.  As the means tests for social assistance payments are based on the income and assets of the household, it would significantly increase the complexity of the means assessment to assign individual incomes or assets to only one individual in that household.  It may also lead to inconsistency and unfairness as to how means are assessed across households in general.

Any changes in this regard would have to be considered in the overall policy context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.