Many people with disabilities excluded from €500 lump-sum payment – Tully TD

People in receipt of a disability payment who have taken up a training course and have subsequently been transferred to a training allowance are not entitled to the €500 cost-of-living lump sum payment.

Deputy Pauline Tully raised the problem with the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability in the Dáil, urging her to rectify the issue with her colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.

The Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Disability and Carers said the matter was confirmed through parliamentary question by her party colleague Deputy Claire Kerrane to the Minister for Social Protection.

“This is extremely unfair. It is sending an extremely negative disincentive for those wishing to take up training courses and is having an equally adverse effects on those already enrolled on such courses.

“Seven out of ten people on one training course have left their course as they need this payment and were advised by their local social welfare office that they would have to do so to get the payment. This is sending a very bad message to the disability community."

Deputy Tully noted disability does not "just disappear" because a person takes up a training course; nor does the poverty experienced by disabled people.

“This does not fit into a rights-based model of disability.

Pensions

She said there was a parallel case for people with disabilities who have reached a pensionable age.

“This is also the case for older disabled people who receive a pension. They are also not going to receive the €500 cost-of-living lump sum payment either.

“They also ask whether their disability disappears when they turn 66.

“Even outside of the fact that we are in a cost-of-living crisis, there is an additional cost of disability that non-disabled people do not experience which leaves many disabled people in poverty. Many people in the disability community were relying on this payment to the riding cost of energy and food bills.

“I have brought this up with Minister Rabbitte in the Dáil and urged her to rectify the issue without any delay with Ministers Humphreys."