Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions. There are currently in excess of 160,000 persons in receipt of means-tested Disability Allowance from the Department.

The means assessment of DA reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves, so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.

In the means test, cash income that is assessed includes any income from employment or self-employment (and spouse/partner, if applicable), income from a social security pension from another country and maintenance payments.

Capital assessed as part of the means test includes all monies held in financial institutions or otherwise, the market value of shares, as well as houses and premises owned by a claimant which may or may not be put to commercial use. The family home is never assessed as part of the means test, regardless of who is the legal owner.

The DA scheme is designed to support people to enter or return to employment, be that self-employment or insurable employment, for example: When an individual commences employment, an income disregard of €165 per week is applied. In addition, 50% of earnings between €165 and €375 is also disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Earnings from employment over €375 per week are assessed on a euro for euro basis.

The disregard is not applied to non-employment income. All other income streams assessable as means are assessed on a euro for euro basis.

The conditions attached to payment of DA are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally. This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – be that illness, disability, unemployment or caring.

The Department continues to keep its range of income supports, including disregards, under review and any change proposed would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

All bonuses, additional payments and Fuel Allowance will be payable to recipients of DA who are awarded/in payment at the date that these bonuses are due to be paid.

On 22 November 2023, €400 was paid to recipients that were in receipt of Disability Allowance.

On 22 November 2023, €300 was paid to recipients that were in receipt of Fuel Allowance.

On 29 November 2023, €100 per child was paid to recipients in receipt of an Increase for a Qualified Child and €200 was paid to recipients in receipt of Living Alone allowance.

If the person was not awarded DA until after these dates, then they would not be entitled to receive the above cost of living payments.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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445. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to indicate the progress to date in determining an application for carers allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6485/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

The person concerned has been in receipt of CA since 3 May 2018.

There is an obligation on the Department to ensure that only those who satisfy the conditions receive the payment and the Department must periodically review claims to ensure that there is continued entitlement. Depending on the circumstances in each case and to make best use of resources, a review may concentrate on a specific condition of entitlement.

In this instance, a medical review was initiated on 17 January 2023 and the customer was requested to have a medical review form completed for the care recipient.

Upon receipt of the completed form, a Departmental Medical Assessor conducted an assessment of the information provided and recorded on 30 July 2023 an opinion that there was no medical evidence that full-time care was required.

The customer was informed of this decision by a Deciding Officer on 27 October 2023 and afforded the opportunity to submit further medical evidence, within 28 days, for the decision to be reviewed. No further evidence was provided by the customer.

The customer was advised in a letter of 11 January 2024 that their last payment would be on 1 February 2024 and their claim would be terminated from 7 February 2024. The customer was afforded the right of review and/or appeal in this letter.

To date, no further correspondence has been received from the person.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.