'Slap in the face' to be excluded from disability payment

A group of working disabled people has said that a cost of disability payment should be universal and non-means tested.

They said "it was a slap in the face" for working disabled people to have been excluded from the €500 cost of disability payment in the Budget.

The payment introduced in Budget 2027 is only available to disabled people in receipt of long-term disability payments.

More than 346,000 disabled people were working in the Republic of Ireland, according to Census 2022.

James Cawley from Drumlish, Co Longford is Director of Strategic Partnerships with the Irish Centre for Diversity.

He is a full-time powered wheelchair user and works full-time.

"We heard in the Budget there was a once-off cost of disability payment being introduced, and also an increase in the disability allowance.

"But I think we need to be clear about the disability allowance increase, because that has been a measure for cost-of-living.

"Whereas the €500 cost of disability payment, is more of a top-up for disabled people, which is tied to a social welfare payment."

Mr Cawley said the decision to link the payment with social welfare payments reinforces an outdated understanding of disability and fails to reflect the lives of thousands of disabled people in employment.

He said the move poses a simple question.

"Is our policy fit for purpose, and does our employment policy and our social welfare policies communicate?

"On one hand we're trying to get disabled people into employment, and on the other hand, we see disabled people staying on social welfare because they're afraid of losing secondary benefits."

Mr Cawley believes that decision represents a missed opportunity to recognise the financial realities of living with a disability in Ireland.

"Your disability doesn't disappear the minute you turn on your laptop or you log into work. And the thing is, I'm much more than a disabled person, I'm a son. I'm a husband, I'm a friend and I'm a taxpayer.

"So it's important, and we have to make that distinction that it's a cost of disability payment to alleviate the extortionate and unavoidable costs that disabled people face in Ireland."

He pointed to a research document called the Indecon report which was published in 2021 and it estimated additional annual costs for disabled people ranged from roughly €8,700 to over €12,300.

"I'm a disabled person sitting in a wheelchair so I have to have my house warm all the time. I've significant higher costs than a non-disabled person, for example, in relation to oil and heating.

"Electricity is another example because I use a powered wheelchair and medical equipment. Then there are some medical pieces or equipment that are not covered so you have to buy that out of your own pocket.

"There's accessibility too, so that's a significant cost as well and I have a personal assistant, two people that work with me to support me to live independently, that's another additional cost."

Mr Cawley said he wanted to stress however that this isn't about 'us and them', and the group simply wants inclusion for all disabled people irrespective of employment status.

"I think it is really important that the Government bring disabled working people along with them to work out a standalone, non-means-tested payment or even at this point a tax credit would give us some relief."

'We are experiencing double costs'

Ann Marie Flanagan from Ennistymon in Co Clare is another full-time worker and a wheelchair user.

She works nationally as Seeking Safety Ireland manager, an inter agency collaboration supporting women who experience trauma, substance use and domestic, sexual and gender based violence.

"As disabled people, we are experiencing double costs," she explained.

"There's costs around support, electricity, food, specialised equipment and adaptations to our home. If I go out, I need somebody to be with me, that's two entrance fees, that's two coffees.

"There's also the lack of accessible transport, both in urban and rural Ireland. I live in rural Ireland, so I'm always in my van and that alone cost me €95,000."

Ann Marie said she was part one of thousands of working disabled people who fully engaged with the consultation process on the payment.

"I led and facilitated public consultations and we engaged fully. Understanding that we weren't going to get the full amount given the decisions Government had to make, we genuinely believed that there would be a universal payment."

Ann Marie points to Northern Ireland where she says there is a personal independent payment, and that is a universal, non-means-tested cost of disability payment.

She said the group of working disabled people just want parity.

"We want at a minimum, a baseline, universal payment that allows us to participate in society as is committed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

"We're not asking for anything that doesn't exist partially in Ireland or that isn't evidenced internationally. We're asking Government to honour the rights of disabled people to participate fully, like everybody else."

A statement from the Department of Social Protection said the Government acknowledges that working disabled people who aren't in receipt of a long-term social welfare payment also incur additional costs.

A spokesperson confirmed that Minister Dara Calleary will meet the group in early November to discuss their concerns.

The department said there will be further consultation with disabled people and their advocates in relation to the development of the payment for future years.

"The Minister has received a range of requests from people, including disabled workers, looking to meet and seeking to be involved in the codesign process.

"These are all being considered as the department develops the process through which further engagement will be carried out with disabled people, including disabled workers, and their representatives."

The department said it is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures across Government.

It said the Cost of Disability Payment introduced in Budget 2027 will be made to approximately 240,000 people at an estimated cost of €119m next year.

It said the payment "is one element of a suite of measures that support disabled people".