A public consultation on the cost of disability has been launched by the Minister for Social Protection, seeking input on a planned annual disability support payment. The Programme for Government had previously committed to introducing a permanent disability support payment on an annual basis.
Cost of Disability Consultation Underway
The public consultation aims to gather submissions regarding the most appropriate approach to the payment. Research from a 2021 Indecon report estimated that additional annual costs for disabled people ranged from approximately €8,700 to over €12,300, though these figures have since increased due to the rising cost of living.
A Green Paper on disability reform, published by former Minister Heather Humphreys, proposed a three-tiered system of support payments. However, the proposal faced significant opposition, with disabled people describing it as “degrading” due to its reliance on medicalized assessment rather than a social model of disability. The Green Paper was ultimately scrapped in April 2024.
The current government has identified disability as a priority issue. The public consultation will inform the agenda for a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the cost of disability, scheduled for May.
The summit will include participation from Disabled Persons’ organisations, Ministers, senior Government officials, civil society representatives, and other stakeholders to explore solutions to address the financial challenges faced by disabled people. Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary acknowledged the extra, unavoidable daily costs many disabled people experience.
Calleary described the consultation as “hugely important” in ensuring the voices of disabled people are central to the development of the payment. The consultation is open until 7 April and is available on the Department of Social Protection website.
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