Disability allowance - Are genuine cases denied?

As if disabled people were not already carrying a heavy burden, it is worrying to learn that three out of every five applications for disability allowances have been turned down by the State.

It is not clear whether the sharp rise on earlier years, as reflected in a raft of statistics, is the result of a more aggressive vetting system, as claimed by Opposition TDs.

Not so, according to the Department of Social Protection, which argues that no changes have been implemented in the underlying eligibility conditions for disability allowance in recent years.

The obvious question is whether more people are seeking allowances because they have fallen into poverty and need money either to put food on the table or pay off loan sharks.

Whatever the answer, it would be a downright travesty if anyone who genuinely qualified for an allowance was rejected because the Coalition wants to cut costs and save money.