Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 May 2022
463. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to supports for artists with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27546/22]
View answerThe Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme which the Government launched in April is a matter for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
The Department of Social Protection provides a range of income supports for people unable to work due to illness or disability. Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested payments and are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue employment, be that self-employment or insurable employment.
When a person in receipt of Disability Allowance commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €140 per week. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €350 are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test. Income from the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme will be treated as income from self-employment for the purposes of means tests within the social welfare system and as a result these disregards will apply.
In Budgets 2021 and 2022 I introduced significant changes to allow people to earn more while continuing to keep a greater proportion of their disability payments, specifically:
- the earnings disregard for Disability Allowance and Blind Pension was increased from €120 to €140 a week with effect from June last year;
- from this June, the upper limit of earnings that applies to these schemes will increase from €350 to €375 per week;
- an increase of €5.10 is being applied to the general weekly means disregard entry point for the Disability Allowance from this June. This increase will bring the entry point of the weekly means disregard for Disability Allowance in line with that of the Blind Pension, at €7.60 per week.
My Department's supports and schemes are kept under review to ensure that they continue to meet their objectives. There are no plans to change the way in which income from the Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme will be treated within the social welfare system or to introduce any additional scheme as proposed by the Deputy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
