Disability Allowance

Tamarellaz

Hi. My Boyfriend has just been granted Disability Allowance - hes just gotten the letter saying appeal allowed.

How much do people get on DA?
Is there back pay of arrears? If there is, how far do they go back and would they take into account the fact the CWO reinstated his Illness Benefit while awaiting the outcome of the appeal?

zef

Hi, DA is 188e a week, 2 e extra! But a person can work for a number of hours a week and earn up to 160e if i remember rightly.
Also a person on DA can get a bus & train pass.
The household benefit package is also there for people on DA. Its free tv licence , esb units, and a few quid (9e- it was 25 up till recently) so he could apply for that. I would advise him to keep all correspondence and send requested items (birth cert copies, bills, bank statements etc) by reg. post as I have been trying to claim this allowance but am being fobbed off every time with 'we never received your "whatever" so your claim has been closed, you may apply again. It's like talking to a wall.
Yes he will be entitled to any back pay he has not received from the CWO. I don't know how far they go back though.

Tamarellaz

Would he be eligible to appply for Rent Allowance?

zef

Yes, he would be eligible to apply.
There is a 'rent ceiling' depending on where you live. http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/rent_supplement.html has info on it.

livemusic4life

He will only receive arrears for any weeks he did not receive money from cwo or illness benefit. Illness benefit is dependent on contributions. So if he was getting the full 188 he may not be entitled to any arrears, except maybe the 20 euro for fuel allowance in winter. I don't think there is any time limit for arrears as mine had been applied for over a year before i was approved.

Pollyanna306

My partner applied for DA mid Dec 2011..application refused during May 2012 which was appealed by way of review to Longford. This was refused again in November 2012 so Appealed to Appeals office Dublin in late Dec 2012. File finally sent from Longford to Dublin in May of this year and letter sent in early July to him to say Appeal Allowed. We are now in mid August and Longford still don't have him back on their system and have advised it may take several months again before his claim is processed. During this process he has had four hospital procedures and two extensive operations has been totally debilitated and in in receipt no income. There has been enough to cope with without the financial hardship and stress that this slow and unfair process has caused.

alyssum

Pollyanna306 wrote: »

My partner applied for DA mid Dec 2011..application refused during May 2012 which was appealed by way of review to Longford. This was refused again in November 2012 so Appealed to Appeals office Dublin in late Dec 2012. File finally sent from Longford to Dublin in May of this year and letter sent in early July to him to say Appeal Allowed. We are now in mid August and Longford still don't have him back on their system and have advised it may take several months again before his claim is processed. During this process he has had four hospital procedures and two extensive operations has been totally debilitated and in in receipt no income. There has been enough to cope with without the financial hardship and stress that this slow and unfair process has caused.

Ombudsman

livemusic4life

Pollyanna306 wrote: »

My partner applied for DA mid Dec 2011..application refused during May 2012 which was appealed by way of review to Longford. This was refused again in November 2012 so Appealed to Appeals office Dublin in late Dec 2012. File finally sent from Longford to Dublin in May of this year and letter sent in early July to him to say Appeal Allowed. We are now in mid August and Longford still don't have him back on their system and have advised it may take several months again before his claim is processed. During this process he has had four hospital procedures and two extensive operations has been totally debilitated and in in receipt no income. There has been enough to cope with without the financial hardship and stress that this slow and unfair process has caused.

it took 4 months for my arrears to be sorted. Did you partner not go to the CWO? Or was on illness benefit or anything?

Pollyanna306

went to CWO in January 2012 but because I was working albeit on a part time basis he was told he wasn't entitled to anything also he had been self employed before his illness . . did you have to re submit all documentation again for means test or did they revert back to your original application to sort arrears
?