Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether there was a commitment given to citizens who were on invalidity pensions or other welfare payments that they could go back to work during the Covid crisis and retain their payments. [60982/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of income support payments to address the contingency of acquiring a disability or caring for those who are incapacitated due to illness or disability.

Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment for people aged under 66 who cannot work due a long-term illness or disability. It is payable for people who have the required social insurance contributions, and it is not means tested. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months or must be permanently incapable of work.

A claimant must not engage in paid employment or self-employment while in receipt of Invalidity Pension. Permission may be granted to do rehabilitative/training courses or voluntary work while in receipt of Invalidity Pension. Written permission must be obtained from Invalidity Payments section prior to commencement of rehabilitative/training courses or voluntary work.

There were no special arrangements during the Covid crisis.

If a person who is in receipt of Invalidity Pension wants to work, they have to apply for Partial Capacity Benefit.

Partial Capacity Benefit allows people in receipt of Invalidity Pension, or who have been in receipt of Illness Benefit for more than six months, to enter or return to employment and receive a payment. The payment is based on a person’s restriction in work capacity.

The personal rate of payment of Partial Capacity Benefit is based on a medical assessment of a person’s restriction regarding their capacity for work. After the medical assessment, if a person's disability is rated as moderate, severe or profound their payment continues at 50%, 75% or 100% per cent of their existing rate, respectively.

There are no restrictions on earnings from employment or number of hours worked under the Partial Capacity Benefit scheme.

The Department's main means tested disability payments are Disability Allowance and Blind Pension. People on Disability Allowance and Blind Pension can take up employment or self-employment and continue to receive all or part of their income support, depending on their income. A person can earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate payment. Earnings between €165 and €375 from employment are assessed at 50%, and any earnings over €375 are fully assessed as means. A person can earn up to €517.60 a week and still keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of payment and their secondary benefits.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.