Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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179. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 194 of 11 June 2025, whether the review of means testing in the social protection system has been completed; if he now intends to amend the current weekly means limit for the increase for qualified adult allowance for recipients of the State pension and to increasing the current means limit of €100 which has been in place for several years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64144/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of means testing in the social protection system. The purpose of the review of means testing is to look at the different means-tested schemes and to identify any issues in terms of the application of the respective means test.

The outcome of the review will inform decisions regarding any potential changes to means testing. All prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.

Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years, including part of the Budget 2026 announcements. In particular, a number of changes to means testing which provide for higher income disregards have been introduced. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a means-tested payment from my Department and are working, a certain level of income from that work is not assessed in the means test.

A State pension (contributory) recipient can claim an increase on their pension in respect of a qualified adult where the eligibility conditions for this means-tested payment are satisfied.

An Increase for qualified adult (IQA) is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the qualified adult are not more than €100 per week. Reduced rates are payable where means are over €100 and not more than €310 per week. No increase is payable where means are in excess of €310 per week.

Any changes to the current arrangements for the increase for qualified adult allowance for recipients of the State pension (contributory) would have to be considered in a budgetary context and as part of the annual Budget process.