Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
707. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the winter supports currently available to people with disabilities; whether additional targeted measures are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6386/26]
View answerThe Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.
That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people which will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context. We are at the start of a five-year programme for Government and not everything can be done in year one. Government had been very clear that there would be no once-off measures in Budget 2026.
In Budget 2026, I provided for a €1.15 billion package of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures to support disabled people, including:
• A Christmas bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment, paid in December 2025.
• A €10 increase in the weekly rates of payment, bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from this month.
• The highest ever increases in the Child Support Payment – an increase of €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over, and of €8 to €58 for children under 12.
• A €5 increase in the Fuel Allowance, bring it to €38 per week from this month.
• A €20 increase in the monthly Domiciliary Care Allowance payment bringing the payment to €380 per month from this month.
• People moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work will be able to retain their Fuel Allowance payment for five years.
• People getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension who have children will be eligible for Back to Work Family Dividend when taking up employment and moving off those payments.
• Expansion of the Wage Subsidy Scheme to people who acquire a disability while in employment and to those who transfer from Invalidity Pension to Partial Capacity Benefit.
• Increasing the rates paid under the Wage Subsidy Scheme from April.
Both the increases to personal rates of payment and the Fuel Allowance were ahead of the general inflation rate reported by the Central Statistics Office of 3.2% in the year to the end of November 2025, and an energy cost increase of approximately 3.5% for the same period.
The Government also 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.
These measures clearly demonstrate the Governments commitment to support disabled people by introducing permanent changes rather than relying on once-off measures.
The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. In addition, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 my Department will lead a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability.
This work which includes disabled people and their advocates, will inform the approach to be taken in delivering on the Programme for Government commitment. I have asked my officials to expedite this work with a view to bringing a proposal to Government in the first half of the year. Officials have held meetings with a number of organisations to discuss the possible structure and content of the Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers. The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
Furthermore, under the scheme, a Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. Heating Supplement is not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the full year.
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment or a Heating Supplement is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications for Additional Needs Payments can be made online via [www.mywelfare.ie].
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
