Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 October 2024
298. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will allow an applicant in receipt of disability allowance to transfer directly to an invalidity pension if they have the correct contributions and have applied for, and been approved for, disability instead of invalidity pension. [38742/24]
View answerDisability 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. A person applying for DA may be disallowed on one or more of these conditions.
Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
A person is regarded as being permanently incapable of work if, for the period of 1 year immediately before the date of application the person had been continuously incapable of work and a deciding officer (DO) is satisfied that the person is likely to continue to be incapable of work for at least another year or a DO is satisfied that the likelihood is that the person will be incapable of work for life.
To qualify for IP, a claimant must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last or second last complete contribution year before the relevant date of their claim. Only PRSI classes A, E, H or S contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.
Eligibility for IP can be determined on receipt of a completed application form.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
