I’m on disability allowance and my partner works. We just had our first baby, 8 weeks ago. We’re going to be living together. He earns 2400 per month, but rent he pays is 1000 (about to be 1200 in July) and he also has other bills like insurance, utilities and food etc. not to mention the cost of the baby. They’re now asking me about adding baby to my claim, and also about my partner and his income and asking if we live together. Will they take all these expenses into consideration when means testing? Or are they just going to take all my money away? I’m really stressed about it and really really can’t afford for them to stop my payment. Especially now with baby. If anybody has any info I’d really appreciate it.
Disability allowance means test
- Thread starter Harobed
- Start date
Assuming you live together, your partner's income will be assessed.
Have a read of the section "If your partner works" on this webpage, it explains how his income is assessed.
www.citizensinformation.ie
You may not lose all your DA.
Check if you may be eligible for housing support such as HAP, based on your family income.
Your partner might also qualify for Working Family Payment.
Have a read of the section "If your partner works" on this webpage, it explains how his income is assessed.
Disability Allowance
A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.
You may not lose all your DA.
Check if you may be eligible for housing support such as HAP, based on your family income.
Your partner might also qualify for Working Family Payment.
Thanks for replying. I know they’ll assess it but I don’t know if they will take into consideration what he’s paying in rent and bills. That’s mostly what I need to knowAssuming you live together, your partner's income will be assessed.
Have a read of the section "If your partner works" on this webpage, it explains how his income is assessed.
Disability Allowance
A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.
Is that absolutely certain that rent is not taken into consideration?
Here are the relevant paragraphs from the DA operational guidelines re assessment of means and disregards
Under the new means assessment arrangements introduced from 26 September 2007, spouses/civil partner’s/cohabitant’s earnings are calculated as gross earnings less PRSI, Superannuation and Union dues (since March 2009 pension levies are also deducted). Where the spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is engaged in insurable employment a disregard of €20 per day applies subject to a maximum of €60 per week and the balance is assessed at 60%. In all other cases the balance is assessed at 100%. The disregard of €20 per day only applies to insurable employment.
Before calculating means derived from a spouse's/ civil partner’s/cohabitant’s insurable employment, the following disregards are applied:
1) €100 (travel Inclusive) for working 4/5 days a week, or
2) €50 together with any travel expenses necessarily incurred for working 1/2/3 days a week
If spouse/partner is working outside the island of Ireland the disregard is €152 per week. The disregard of €152 of a spouse/partner’s weekly earnings in another State does not apply to claims for disability allowance made on or after 26th September 2007.
There is no mention of a disregard for rent paid. Note that there is a new disregard of rent received if a room is rented under the rent a room scheme.
Full guidelines here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c075c7-operational-guidelines-disability-allowance/#
Under the new means assessment arrangements introduced from 26 September 2007, spouses/civil partner’s/cohabitant’s earnings are calculated as gross earnings less PRSI, Superannuation and Union dues (since March 2009 pension levies are also deducted). Where the spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is engaged in insurable employment a disregard of €20 per day applies subject to a maximum of €60 per week and the balance is assessed at 60%. In all other cases the balance is assessed at 100%. The disregard of €20 per day only applies to insurable employment.
Before calculating means derived from a spouse's/ civil partner’s/cohabitant’s insurable employment, the following disregards are applied:
1) €100 (travel Inclusive) for working 4/5 days a week, or
2) €50 together with any travel expenses necessarily incurred for working 1/2/3 days a week
If spouse/partner is working outside the island of Ireland the disregard is €152 per week. The disregard of €152 of a spouse/partner’s weekly earnings in another State does not apply to claims for disability allowance made on or after 26th September 2007.
There is no mention of a disregard for rent paid. Note that there is a new disregard of rent received if a room is rented under the rent a room scheme.
Full guidelines here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c075c7-operational-guidelines-disability-allowance/#
Just a quick note, as I see so many people get this wrong when differentiating between monthly and weekly pay. If he is on €2,400 a month, he is not on €600 a week. He will be on €558.14 a week [2,400/4.3]. When getting paid monthly there are 4.3 weeks, rather than the four that everyone seems to think [52/12=4.3]
In or around that amount Clubman, I was using 4.3 but you could go 4.333 or whichever to give that €553 mark. The point was just that people I know of, always divide by 4 when figuring out weekly pay as opposed to monthly and are doing themselves an injustice. The amount is lower that they think.