Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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321. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has examined the amount a person in receipt of disability allowance can earn and still receive disability allowance, given the low number of persons with a disability in employment in Ireland, to ensure that those that do can receive increases announced in budgets, and are therefore incentivised to work and be supported financially; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40115/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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he Disability Allowance scheme is structured to encourage recipients to avail of opportunities to engage in either insurable employment or self-employment. For people in employment, an income disregard of €165 per week is applied with 50% of earnings between €165 and €375 also disregarded. Persons can currently earn up to €165 per week and keep their payment in full and can earn up to €505.10 per week and keep a small portion of their payment and keep their secondary benefits.

The earnings disregard for recipients of Disability Allowance has increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently. This enables those on the scheme to earn more without having a negative impact on their means tested payment.

As at the end of August 2024 the number of people on Disability Allowance who were also in employment was 17,662.

In response to increases in the cost of living for people with disabilities, as part of Budget 2025, I introduced significant supports which include:

• €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments from January 2025. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate.
• Weekly rates of Child Support Payment (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child) will increase by €8 to €62 for those aged 12 and over, and by €4 to €50 for under 12s in January 2025.
• €400 cost of living lump sum payment for people getting Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension to be paid in November 2024.
• €300 cost of living lump sum payment to all households getting Fuel Allowance to be paid in November 2024.
• €200 cost of living lump sum payment to people who are getting a Living Alone Increase to be paid in November 2024.
• October 2024 cost of living bonus for most people getting a long term weekly social welfare payment.
• Christmas bonus to all persons getting a long-term disability payment to be paid in December 2024.