THE DEPARTMENT of Social Protection has rejected a claim by Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea that there has been a “surge” in the rejection of applications for disability allowance.
The Opposition spokesman on social protection had said new figures indicated three out of every five applications for disability allowance had been rejected since the start of the year.
“I have been inundated with calls from my own constituents about applications for the disability allowance that have, inexplicably, been rejected,” the Limerick TD said.
He added: “I am concerned that Minister [for Social Protection Joan] Burton has tightened the criteria behind closed doors in order to reduce spending in her department.”
Disability allowance is a weekly payment of a maximum €188. Recipients must be aged between 16 and 65 years, have a disability expected to last at least one year and be substantially restricted in undertaking work.
The department said in a statement: “The number of claims for disability allowance refused (for any reason) in 2010, 2011 and to end of May 2012 was 10,316, 14,116 and 6,262 respectively.
“The percentage of claims refused in 2010, 2011 and in the first quarter of 2012 was 54 per cent, 58 per cent and 61 per cent respectively.
“These statistics refer to initial decision only and do not reflect cases which were subsequently allowed following a deciding officer’s review of additional information/evidence supplied, or following a determination by an appeals officer of the social welfare appeals office.
“In 2011, of the total number of appeals which were decided by an appeals officer, 39 per cent were successful or partly successful.
“Disability allowance is demand-led and is not budget-capped. Therefore, the refusal rate in any year is dependent on the extent to which the relevant applications meet the eligibility conditions of the scheme.”
A department spokesman said the number in receipt of disability allowance is bigger than ever.
“The number at the end of 2011 was 102,866 and at the end of June 2012 has risen to 103,212.
“The department is overall spending more on illness/disability schemes over the last decade, both in terms of the numbers of people receiving the allowance and the amount of money spent.
“The department’s spending on total short-term and long-term illness and disability payments has increased from €1.1 billion in 2001 to €2.1 billion in 2006 [and] to €2.7 billion in 2011, while the numbers receiving these payments have increased from 173,000 (2001) to 216,000 (2006) to 242,000 (2011).”
