Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if those in receipt of illness benefit, occupational injuries benefit, disablement pension or incapacity supplement will receive the €400 cost-of-living lump sum payment for disabled people; and if not, the reason those receiving this payment are not deemed eligible. [42143/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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A once-off payment of €400 per person to people in receipt of long-term illness and disability payments (disability allowance, blind pension and invalidity pension) will be paid in November 2024. Payments under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, including disablement benefit, do not qualify for this once-off €400 disability lump sum payment. Under the occupational injuries benefit scheme, there are no limits to the amount that recipients can earn from work, or they may already be in receipt of a supplement on an ongoing basis in the form of incapacity supplement. Disablement Benefit (if in payment at the full rate) remains €31 per week more than blind pension or disability allowance and €25.50 per week more than invalidity pension. Recipients of disablement benefit are also eligible to work while in payment and to apply for incapacity supplement, if not working.

Persons in receipt of illness benefit remain ineligible for the once-off disability lump sum payment. Illness benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment. Most recipients of illness benefit still have an attachment to the labour force and there is an expectation that they will return to work. Long-term illness benefit recipients who are permanently incapable of work, or are restricted in undertaking work may be eligible for invalidity pension or disability allowance (subject to satisfying the qualification conditions for those schemes).

A 100% October bonus will be paid this year to recipients of long-term social welfare payments on the same basis as the Christmas bonus, which will be paid in early December. Over 1.38 million people will benefit, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed. Recipients of disablement benefit and incapacity supplement will receive the October bonus and the Christmas bonus, which will provide 100% increases in the weekly rate of payment for recipients. Persons in receipt of illness benefit for longer than 12 months will also receive the October bonus, in line with Christmas bonus arrangements.

Disablement benefit has been disregarded from the means test for fuel allowance since 2023. In November 2024, households getting the fuel allowance will receive a €300 lump sum payment.

Persons in receipt of incapacity supplement are also eligible for the living alone allowance and, subsequently, the living alone allowance lump sum payment of €200 in November 2024. They are also eligible for a range of other supports including free travel (if in payment for 12 months or more) and the household benefits package.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.