Probe after 'unexplained' surge in people claiming disability allowance


If they are not disabled how are they claiming DA?
 
DA lasts up to two years before you then have to be re-assessed to go onto long term Disability. But yes, it is not v difficult to get DA for the first 2 years when mental health is used as the reason (if you are the type of person who wants to fraudulently claim it). Its not exactly possible to counter someone who says they are depressed and suicidal and therefore cannot work.
 

Out of interest have they worked and paid payroll prsi is it just don't want to work what age profile are they,

Are they just taking it easy until the pension kicks in because they have enough to live

did they just leave the work place to draw or were the made redundant and are living off it along with the DA,
 

I'd be surprised if its as simple as that. Don't you need a medical assessment?

I mean, simply stating that you are 'suicidal' will probably get you a prescription for anti-depressants and maybe an appointment with a psychologist. It doesn't automatically equate to being "substantially restricted in undertaking work". A psychologist might well determine that the lack of employment is the root cause of the depression.

There are 40,000 wheelchair users in Ireland. I'm not sure how many are working age but 20,000 is hardly ott? That is 20,000 DA recipients for one disability alone. Add in those with limbs missing, hard of hearing, sight impairment and recognizable mental disabilities such as aspergers syndrome and autism.
Add in more disabilities that you can think of, and its not hard to see how the number 126,000 of claimants is made up.
 
Here is one of those CSO stats again in case it was missed;

TheBigShort said:
There were 176,445 persons with a disability in the labour force, giving a labour force participation rate of 30.2% compared with 61.4% for the population overall.
Click to expand...

I read from that, that 30.2% of people claiming DA are at work, or actively seeking work, or of the working age.
 
TheBigShort said:
I'd be surprised if its as simple as that. Don't you need a medical assessment?
.
Click to expand...

Think it requires a cert filled out from the GP. So yeah that's the medical assessment. At end of two years the Social welfare department require an assessment from their own medical GP.
 
aristotle said:
Think it requires a cert filled out from the GP. So yeah that's the medical assessment. At end of two years the Social welfare department require an assessment from their own medical GP.
Click to expand...

Yes, but I would imagine the cert will have to elaborate a bit more than "patient is suicidal"?

In other words, a track record of repeated prescriptions, GP visits, suicidal tendencies, failure to get work, failure to hold down work, a psychologist assessment etc, would qualify someone for DA based on mental health grounds.
I don't think it works the way you have described. If someone is out of work because they are depressed they get JSA or JSB benefit like anyone else. If they believe they cannot go to work at all because of the depression, that will require a greater assessment other than a single trip to the GP.
 

yeah true, but don't need to show failure to get work or failure to hold down work or psychological assessment. Of course a single trip to the GP probably wont be enough.
 
Medical confidentiality probably comes into that somewhere.
They should see an independent GP, just as an insurance company would want someone to see their doctor before they pay out.
 
I am retired having worked up to 65 around 9 months ago after working almost 49 years .Since then I have gone on several Holidays in Ireland and overseas catering for people over 50 lots have not reached 65 yet one thing that stands out is almost all are drawing some kind of state benefit,

I am shocked at the amount that are happy to be doing the state out of money these are people who put there kids trough collage/University any loophole the find they will use it to fund early retirement .the one word I hear all the time is about time I got something back from the state,

I don't share there views but I don't comment one way or the other,
 
I might be on the wrong track here, it might have been illness benefit I am thinking of.
 

I am always shocked at how many people seem to meet other people on holiday and always seem to find out what welfare their entitlements are?
Ive been on holidays regularly and I cannot recall once, any discussion about welfare entitlements. I generally tend to try have a good time instead.
 
When you are retired and you are mixing with people who are also the conversation are different,

Like you I have being on lots of holidays before I retired and the subject never came up, So hurry on and retire if you want to join the club while it is still being Funded,I can tell you We are having a ball and a good time,

We are not talking about Work we are talking why or who would want to work any more ,
 
Last edited:
I'd say RTE could start another few "Talk To Joe" programmes , be great for audience figures and give the snowflakes another outlet or two to vent their upset at what they're not being given for nothing.
 
noproblem said:
I'd say RTE could start another few "Talk To Joe" programmes , be great for audience figures and give the snowflakes another outlet or two to vent their upset at what they're not being given for nothing.
Click to expand...
O they are great they don't mind sure they are young yet,

well I hope someone will be good to them when there time comes ahh they will be all right don't you know don't you know ahh they will be fine, they don't mind,

I hear they will have to pay in for forty years to get the full amount how is that right when I only had to pay in for ten years times are changing don't you know don't you know noproblen to them sure they are young yet,
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register