Government fails to guarantee new disability payment by July

The Government has failed to guarantee that an alternate funding stream will be in place for people with disability next July when payments of existing mobility supports are due to end.

Yesterday, the Department of Health could only say it hoped a practical solution could be identified “as soon as possible” to address the problem.

The government decision to scrap the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant, paid to approximately 5,000 people with disabilities, was announced on Tuesday night. The Department of Health blamed the axing of the two schemes on the burden it would put on the exchequer if they were to operate in accordance with Equal Status Acts.