RETROGRADE STEP MADE IN HASTE
22 October 2008
Cutting the Disability Allowance without putting in place an allowance to offset the true cost of disability is a retrograde step made in haste, without careful analysis of its impact, and will affect young people with more severe disabilities and their families the most.
Budget 2009 saw qualifying age for receipt of disability allowance raised from 16 to 18. To compensate for this cut, the age at which domiciliary care allowance is paid was raised from 16 to 18. There is a massive difference in relation to payments received from these two allowances. This difference amounts to €14,000 over two years*.
Inclusion Ireland’s budget submission called for a cost of disability payment, entitlement to a medical card for all children with a disability up to the age of 18, an increase in the domiciliary care allowance to €400 a month and an increase in the respite care grant to €3,000 per annum.
These changes should have been introduced at the same time to offset the financial hardship, which will inevitably result for many families due to arbitrary ending of this payment.
Paying a disability allowance to young people aged 16 with a disability, the majority of whom are still at school, can act as a disincentive to young people with a disability seeking vocational training or work after school. However, given that there are many extra costs, including medical costs associated with children with disabilities and the long waiting lists for all services, especially therapy services, the allowance has understandably become linked to family income and receipt of the medical card.
Inclusion Ireland as an organisation is committed to promoting greater inclusion of people with disabilities, and one of the best ways of doing so is through the workplace (over 70% of people with disabilities in Ireland are unemployed). Inclusion Ireland has welcomed initiatives undertaken by the Department of Social and Family Affairs to encourage young people with disabilities to engage in work.
Note:
* Disability Allowance is a weekly payment paid to a person with a disability from the age of 16 (prior to announcements in Budget 2009) if they have a disability which causes the person be “substantially handicapped” in doing work that would be otherwise suitable for a person of similar age experience and qualifications. Annual figures amount to €10,636.60 for disability allowance (paid at a weekly rate of €204.30) versus €3,595.20 for the domiciliary care allowance (paid at a monthly rate of €299.60).
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