www.statusin.org

Name of the Organization : Citizens Information Board
Type of Facility : Disability Allowance
Country: Ireland

Website : http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/disability_and_illness/disability_allowance.html

Disability Allowance Application Procedure :

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability. You can get Disability Allowance from 16 years of age.

Related : Citizens Information Board Medical Care Scheme Ireland : www.statusin.org/7155.html

If you qualify for Disability Allowance you may also get extra social welfare benefits with your payment and other supplementary welfare payments.

Rules:
To qualify for Disability Allowance (DA) you must:
** Have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be expected to continue for at least one year
** As a result of this disability be substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age, experience and qualifications
** Be aged between 16 and 66. When you reach 66 years of age you no longer qualify for DA, but you are assessed for a State pension.
** Satisfy a means test
** Satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition.

Residential care:
If you are getting Disability Allowance and go into hospital or residential care you will continue to get your payment as long as you meet the qualifying conditions.

If you were not getting Disability Allowance before living in residential care you can get Disability Allowance if you meet the qualifying conditions.

Means test:
Disability Allowance is a means-tested payment. To get the allowance your total means must be below a certain amount.

The main items that count as means are:
** Cash income that you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may have. More information is available in our document about cash income not included in the means test.
** Capital, for example, the value of savings, investments, shares, any property you may have (other than your own home). However, the first €50,000 of any capital you have is not taken into account. More information is available in our document about capital and social welfare payments.
** Maintenance paid to you. More information is available in our document about how maintenance is assessed as means.

Income from the sale of your home:
The proceeds of the sale of the house up to €190,460.71 may not be taken into account when assessing your means if you sell your home and:
** Move to more suitable accommodation (you can either buy or rent)
** Move in with someone who is caring for you and getting a carer’s payment
** Move to sheltered or special housing in the voluntary, co-operative, statutory or private sectors
** Move into a private nursing home that is registered under the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990

If you are living in premises, part of which is a business and part of which is used for accommodation, only the proceeds that relate to the part of the premises that has been used for accommodation are not taken into account.

How to apply:
You can get an application form for Disability Allowance (pdf) from the Disability Allowance Section – see ‘Where to apply’ below. You can also get an application form in your Intreo centre or social welfare local office.

If you think you have been wrongly refused Disability Allowance you can appeal this decision.

Where to apply:
Disability Allowance Section
Department of Social Protection
Social Welfare Services Office
Government Buildings
Ballinalee Road
Longford
Ireland

Tel:(043) 334 0000
Locall:1890 92 77 70