Disability allowance

Sugarbomb

Hey guys.

My GP is adding me to apply for DA and cut down my working hours.

i currently work 26 hours a week.

I don’t want to cut my hours until I know what I can get.

im really confused about what to do.

the application says to include three payslips but these payslips are for 26 hour week so surely they’ll say if I’m entitled or not based on that.

should I mention on the form that I plan on cutting my hours??

any advise is appreciated

Jim_Hodge

Planning to do something is irrelevant. Give them the here and now.

Cherry Blossom

Hi Sugarbomb. The benefit of work calculator will do all the sums for you. DA is going up €12 in January and the earnings limit is also going up by €25 before you start getting means tested but it’ll give you a rough idea of how your finances will be if you put in different scenarios. I work 24 hours a week, I’m able to pay my bills and rent and have a little bit left over for myself every week. Disability Allowance is the most flexible social welfare payment and the mean testing for it is generous. It can be a hard payment to get though and many people get it on appeal so if it’s not awarded with your initial application, do appeal the decision.

https://services.mywelfare.ie/en/topics/health-disability-illness/benefit-of-work-estimator/

Dempo1

Morning, I'm looking at this payment myself, perhaps I'm missing something OP but I believe the fact you are working automatically disqualifies you from even applying for DA. You essentially must be unable to work when applying for DA, much the same as invalidity pension for 12 months or more.

My reading of this payment initially is you must be unable to work. The contradiction is this, once awarded you can take up what is called rehabiltive employment and the advice I'm getting is that you may have to be on Illness Benefit etc when applying.

I know a CE scheme is not an ideal example but just as an example..

If you are on a CE scheme you are disqualified from DA, however if on DA you can apply for a CE scheme placement, obviously a position that suitable, physically etc.

Others are more experienced than I with regard to DA but I do not believe you can just apply for DA just to reduce your working hours, that is not how it works.

Even Partial Capacity Benefit is not an option as you'd have to be on a SW payment already and returning to work

I've put in a series of questions to the DSP & citizens info and will come back with answers.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120024299#Comment_120024299

Working with DLA, certain to various conditions seems mad that they would disqualify only for you to take up the same work if you weren't working beforehand.

You can work and earn up to €165 a week (after paying PRSI, pension contributions, and union dues) without your DA payment being affected.

If you earn more than €165 a week, 50% of your earnings between €165 and €375 will not be taken into account in the DA means test. Any earnings over €375 are assessed in full.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html#:~:text=You%20can%20work%20and%20earn,375%20are%20assessed%20in%20full.

Dempo1

Morning, yes I understand all the issues re DA and employment etc . The crux of the situation is the clear contradiction with regard to applying for DA whilst on a CE scheme , even if that role is administrative, not physical work.

I reached out to citizens info, who got a direct response from the DA section ,saying I should apply ,obviously subject to medical reports etc . I then discovered in the operational manual for CE schemes, on the Ctizens information website that as of 2012 those on a CE scheme are disqualified from DA & yet someone on DA can go on a CE scheme.

When I pointed this out, the response was , "I know it says this but still apply for DA".

Knowing as I do from others how long it takes for a DA application, it would be ridiculous to apply ,only to be told, months later ,you are disqualified. It would also be absurd to have to give up a CE placement, lose any allowances ,apply for illness benefit & wait.

A new issue has since arisen and discussed in an illness benefit thread, PUP is no longer assessed as income for the purposes of assessing eligibility & rate of illness benefit. I was on PUP in 2021 so if I apply for illness benefit in 2023 , I'd likely not qualify despite over 30 years of full employment.

So there's a number of Catch 22's so to speak 🤔

StevenToast

Im hearing lactose intolerance qualifies for this.....

Great country

Dempo1

It's frankly beggar's belief if I'm being honest, the reactions on Twitter brutal . Lactose intolerance is not a disability, if true this makes a mockery of those with Genuine illnesses, Disabilities & Mebtal Health issues being declined every week.

Necro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120097480#Comment_120097480

That's not correct re: Illness Benefit, you'd likely have a significantly reduced rate if your sole income in 2021 was PUP but you would still qualify for a payment, which can then be "topped up" by the community welfare officer via Supplementary Welfare Allowance subject to a means test.

Contributions are applied for weeks on PUP at the class based on your last paid PRSI contribution before claimint the payment, but the income received from PUP is not included in your total earnings when determining the rate. This is true of all social welfare payments as only income from employment is used when determining the rate of payment.

Dempo1

Thanks Necro, apologies, I was focusing on the Eligibility & how PUP earnings are not counted towards same for illness benefit, I am aware a top up can be applied for via the SWA route subject to means test.

Necro

Just to update this @Dempo1

If PUP was the sole income from 2021 then an uplift is now being provided to the maximum rate of Illness Benefit. Anyone affected is having this process done manually at present.

nothing

Re: CE disqualifying you from DA - it just means you can't get both payments (in the old days, you'd keep your DA payment and get the CE payment on top of it)

It's fairly straightforward to move off DA onto CE and back again.

Dempo1

That is fantastic to hear @Necro whilst of course I can understand PUP wasn't technically income, it was neither a SW payment and as you know a stamp was awarded for each payment and Tax liable. This is why I found it unfair, plus the vast majority on PUP were on it due to genuine loss of employment & income.

Thanks for the update 👌

Dempo1

Morning, thanks for that, the issue is in reverse, I accepted a CE Scheme position (Non physical, Admin roll) actually as a preference to going on Illness Benefit. Always transparent with the Department, excellent team in my local intero centre who have my full situation on record.

My situation is that I'm aware my Health challenges won't get better & thought it wise to apply for DA or IP whilst on the CE scheme as opposed to waiting until CE position ends & Face the prospect of applying for these payments in limbo and months for a decision. Of course I can apply for illness benefit in the mean time but would automatically loose my fuel allowance entitlement.

I've since clarified that your take on this is correct however I'm on the CE scheme now whilst applying. The contradiction appears to be, I can go on a CE scheme if on DA or IP but not be on on a CE scheme when applying for IP or DA but the Disibility section have now confirmed apply anyway, so I'm putting paper work together now.

Thanks again.

nothing

Ah no, that's a rotten situation dempo!

Dempo1

A , I suppose understandable in one sense , but when I raised this odd contradiction with both citizen's info & the department they were bamboozled 😏 but onwards and upwards as they say 😏