Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
458. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the disability allowance is means-tested for couples who are cohabiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70988/25]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to illness or disability.
Disability Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment for people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In order to be eligible the disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the person must satisfy a habitual residency condition.
Social welfare legislation provides that for means-tested social assistance schemes, all income and assets belonging to the claimant, and his or her spouse or partner where applicable, are assessable for means-testing purposes. The purpose of the means test is to ensure that resources are directed to those with the greatest need for income supports by the State.
The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property – other than the family home – and capital.
If a person’s spouse, civil partner or cohabitant works, their ‘net’ weekly earnings from work as an employee are assessed as follows:
• €20 per day, up to a maximum of €60, from work is deducted from their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant’s average net weekly earnings; and
• 60% of the balance is assessed as weekly means.
Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by the Department of Social Protection. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This is compared to €20,000 for most social welfare payments. A person’s family home is not assessed as means.
The Programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025 - 2030 both contain a commitment to reform the Disability Allowance Payment and remove anomalies in the current means test for the payment. There is also a commitment to introduce a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment.
My Department is currently reviewing means testing across all its social assistance schemes. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing.
My Department is committed to improving outcomes for people with a disability. As a result, a number of improvements were announced in Budget 2026. These include:
• €10 increase in the maximum personal rate of weekly disability payments from January 2026. There will be proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate.
• Christmas bonus to all persons getting a long-term disability payment to be paid in December 2025.
• People moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work from September 2026 will keep their Fuel Allowance for 5 years.
• People getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension will be eligible for Back to Work Family Dividend when taking up employment.
• Wage Subsidy Scheme extended to more people who acquire a disability.
• €1.20 increase in the Wage Subsidy Scheme base rate to €7.50 per hour and introducing a middle rate of €8.50 from April 2026.
• €5 increase in Fuel Allowance from €33 to €38 per week from January 2026. This will provide an additional €140 during the annual fuel allowance season.
• Weekly rates of Child Support Payment increased by €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over, and by €8 to €58 for children under 12, from January 2026.
• The Government allocated €3.8 billion to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services in 2026, including funding for Community Based Specialist Disability Services to ensure people with disabilities receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. This represents a 20% increase year on year and represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8 billion.
This will build on the progress made over the last number of years where the Government have progressively improved payment rates for disabled people. Over the last five budgets the weekly payment rates for Disability Allowance have increased by €51.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
