Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Disability allowance for cohabiting couple

Options
  • 11-11-2018 1:02pm
    #1
    whydoibother
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭


    I was wondering if somepne could shed light the below statement and help me calculate the means for the below specified case:

    From welfare.ie: "If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting and you both qualify for Disability Allowance, you will each get a weekly personal rate of Disability Allowance. If you both qualify, you can both get the maximum rate."

    Case: John and Mary were dating and now decide to start cohabitng. Mary has been on disability long term but she works as a cleaner and earns up to 120 euro per week - this income is allowed by the DSP, so she actually earns 198+120=318 euro as it is considered rehabilitation. Now, comes John, who was working and living elsewhere but suffers from depression and can no longer stick to his job due to physical and mental disabilities. If John also gets disability allowance, will John and Mary still *each* be entited to the maximum rate, and/or will Mary's income from her rehab job be included in means test in such a way that their respective individual welfare payments will be slashed and by how much?

    Thanks.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    splinter65
    Registered Users Posts: 9,420 ✭✭✭splinter65


    His DA/JSA will be reduced by €36. So €198-€36= €162


  • Options
    #3
    whydoibother
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭whydoibother


    splinter65 wrote: »
    His DA/JSA will be reduced by €36. So €198-€36= €162

    Thanks. Will Mary lose her fuel allowance for the winter, as well?
    Also, how did u calculate the 36 euro?
    Thanks again.


  • Options
    #4
    splinter65
    Registered Users Posts: 9,420 ✭✭✭splinter65


    whydoibother wrote: »
    Thanks. Will Mary lose her fuel allowance for the winter, as well?
    Also, how did u calculate the 36 euro?
    Thanks again.

    I think she will lose her FA as they will have in excess of the €100 means test but I’m not 100% sure. But they will keep their HBP and free travel and have €480 total to live on so they should be fine.
    €120-€60 (disregard of €20 per day to a max of 3 days, I’m assuming she works 3days?) = €60 x 60%=€36 . €198-€36=€162.


  • Options
    #5
    whydoibother
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭whydoibother


    splinter65 wrote: »
    I think she will lose her FA as they will have in excess of the €100 means test but I’m not 100% sure. But they will keep their HBP and free travel and have €480 total to live on so they should be fine.
    €120-€60 (disregard of €20 per day to a max of 3 days, I’m assuming she works 3days?) = €60 x 60%=€36 . €198-€36=€162.

    She works 2 hours 3 days on weekdays and then 6 hours during the weekend cleaning the local school.


  • Options
    #6
    whydoibother
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭whydoibother


    splinter65 wrote: »
    I think she will lose her FA as they will have in excess of the €100 means test but I’m not 100% sure. But they will keep their HBP and free travel and have €480 total to live on so they should be fine.
    €120-€60 (disregard of €20 per day to a max of 3 days, I’m assuming she works 3days?) = €60 x 60%=€36 . €198-€36=€162.

    Okay, I was doing some research on the welfare.ie website and I understand everything you said except what you mean by "in excess of 100 euro of the means test." Could you please explain? Thanks.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    splinter65
    Registered Users Posts: 9,420 ✭✭✭splinter65


    whydoibother wrote: »
    Okay, I was doing some research on the welfare.ie website and I understand everything you said except what you mean by "in excess of 100 euro of the means test." Could you please explain? Thanks.

    You can have income of the SW rate for you as a couple + €100 but if you have any more than +€100 you lose your FA so if Mary has +€120 then I think the FA will be gone


  • Options
    #8
    whydoibother
    Registered Users Posts: 318 ✭✭whydoibother


    splinter65 wrote: »
    You can have income of the SW rate for you as a couple + €100 but if you have any more than +€100 you lose your FA so if Mary has +€120 then I think the FA will be gone

    Thanks. I just have another question. Why do they take the SW rate as a couple into assessment when john is working but not when he is on disability?
    For example Case 1
    Mary and John are married
    Mary gets 198 DA + 120 = 318
    John gets 300 per week

    How will this impact on Mary’s entitlements?

    Assess John’s means: 300 - 60 = 240 x 60% = 144
    Family payment = 198 + 131.4 (qualified adult) = 329.4
    329 - 144 = 185 is what Mary will get

    Together they have 185 + 120 + 300 = 605 pw

    Case 2
    John also gets DA
    Family allowance is 329.4
    Mary’s income is 120
    120 - 60 = 60 x 60% = 36
    John will get 198 - 36 = 162

    Together they have 162 + 198 + 120 = 480 pw
    Why is in this case the family allowance not taken into account? Sorry if I sound stupid... I just want to understand...


Advertisement