Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if disability allowance will be reinstated for a person (details supplied). [39225/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability whose income falls below certain limits and who are aged between 16 and are under 66.

The Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is continued entitlement. In this case, the means of the person concerned were reviewed. 

Means are any income belonging to the person in receipt of DA and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, property, (except their own home) or an asset that could bring in money or provide them with an income, for example occupational pensions, or pensions or benefits from another country.

A means review of the person concerned commenced on 17 June 2025 when my department contacted them requesting information relating to their means.

It is a condition for receipt of DA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purposes of determining means. The person concerned provided some of the information requested. A letter then issued to the person informing them of the information that was still outstanding in order to complete the means review.

This letter incorrectly indicated to the customer that her DA claim was currently stopped. This was not correct as the DA claim of the person concerned remained in payment throughout the means review process.

Following receipt of the requested information on 9 July 2025, the person was assessed with weekly means of €2.50, effective from 22 July 2025. The DA payment for the person concerned will reduce to €241.50 from 22 July 2025. The person concerned was notified on 10 July 2025 of this decision, the reason for it and their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.