Sean Fleming
Ceist:700. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5946/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 27 January 2026
Ceisteanna (700)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people. The Government is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent support 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 currently at the start of that five-year programme but our actions in Budget 2026 indicate our commitment to delivering what we promised.
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 €10, or 4.1%, increase in the weekly rates of payment, bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from this month.
• A €5 increase or 15% increase in the Fuel Allowance, bringing it to €38 per week or €1,064 per annum from this month.
Both of these increases were ahead of cost increases. They compare to a general inflation rate reported by the Central Statistics Office of 3.2% in the year to the end of November 2025 and an energy costs increase of about 3.5% for the same period.
In addition Budget 2026 provided for:
• A Christmas bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment, paid in December 2025.
• 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.
• 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 from January.
• Significant increases in the rate of payment of the Wage Subsidy Scheme of up to 19% from April.
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.
The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment. In addition, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, my Department is leading a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability. While it is led by my Department, it includes other Government departments in this cross-government endeavour. This work which will include 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 prioritise this work with a view to bringing a proposal to Government in the first half of this year.
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 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. A Heating Supplement is also available. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and are available to anyone who needs them and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
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.