Over 100,000 claim disability allowance

THE number of people claiming disability allowance has risen above 100,000 for the first time ever, costing taxpayers more than €1.1 billion annually, figures have revealed.

A record 101,042 people were in receipt of the allowance at the end of September, an increase of 4,970 from January 2009, figures from the Department of Social Protection show.

However, there is strong evidence to show people are abusing the payment.

Every year since 2003, checks and reviews by medical assessors of about 10,000 sample cases show that only about a third of the claimants are eligible for the payment.

For example, in 2009, of 10,000 people who were assessed by medical examiners, 4,340 (43%) were deemed not eligible. A further 2,600 did not attend their examinations.

Similarly in 2008, when 14,661 people were assessed, almost 5,000 were deemed not eligible and almost 4,500 did not attend.

The number of people claiming the means-tested payment for those with a specified disability has consistently grown year on year.

In 2007, 89,000 people were claiming disability, rising to 95,000 in 2008 when the cost of the scheme topped €1bn for the first time.

To be eligible for benefit you must be shown to have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be expected to continue for at least one year.

Currently, there is a backlog of 6,477 allowance claims awaiting decision.

Fine Gael TD Tom Sheahan maintains that some genuine people are being “victimised” by the system.

He said he knew a man claiming jobseeker’s benefit who had mutilated his finger with a disc-saw.

“He contacted the social welfare office and stated what had happened. The jobseeker’s benefit payment was stopped immediately and the man was told he would have to apply for disability benefit, which he did but he was refused.”

Mr Sheahan said the man had been told by a medical assessor that he did not meet the medical criteria.

Social Protection Minister Éamon O Cuív said there was no truth to the claim that the department was holding back payments to try and save money.

He said, however, that certain claims had to be referred to social welfare inspectors for means investigation and this could add to the overall processing times.

“One third of claims awaiting decision are currently with inspectors.

“In addition, factors outside the department’s control can have an impact, for example, incomplete application forms, supply of relevant information by the customer, bank account details, details of spouses’ earnings, information from employers or third parties,” he said.