Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
488. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost of making the disability support payment of €400 a permanent annual payment; to provide the full-year cost of increasing it in increments of €100 up to €2000, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42612/24]
View answerI am committed to improving outcomes for people with a disability. As a result, I announced an extensive range of cost of living measures to support people with disabilities in Budget 2025. These included:
• October 2024 cost of living bonus for people in receipt of a long term weekly social welfare payment.
• €400 cost of living lump sum payment for people in receipt of 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.
• €100 cost of living lump sum payment for people getting a Child Support Payment (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child) to be paid for each qualified child in November 2024.
• Christmas bonus to all persons in receipt of a long-term disability payment to be paid in December 2024.
• €12 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments from January 2025. There will be proportionate increases for people on 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
• €20 increase a month in Domiciliary Care Allowance from January 2025.
The cost to the exchequer of making the cost of living lump sum payment of €400 permanent, based on recipient figures as at the end of August 2024, would be €89.4 million.
The cost of increasing the cost of living lump sum payment of €400 in increments of €100 to a maximum of €2000 is laid out in tabular form below. The figures listed below are based on combined recipient numbers for Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension (223,500) as at end of August 2024.
|
Cost of Living Lump Sum Payment |
Cost per annum |
|
€400 |
€89,400,000 |
|
€500 |
€111,750,000 |
|
€600 |
€134,100,000 |
|
€700 |
€156,450,000 |
|
€800 |
€178,800,000 |
|
€900 |
€201,150,000 |
|
€1,000 |
€223,500,000 |
|
€1,100 |
€245,850,000 |
|
€1,200 |
€268,200,000 |
|
€1,300 |
€290,550,000 |
|
€1,400 |
€312,900,000 |
|
€1,500 |
€335,250,000 |
|
€1,600 |
€357,600,000 |
|
€1,700 |
€379,950,000 |
|
€1,800 |
€402,300,000 |
|
€1,900 |
€424,650,000 |
|
€2,000 |
€447,000,000 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
