Disabled Persons Allowance
Disabled Persons Allowance
- Government recognises that a Scheme currently exists for disabled persons and it signalled during the 2004 consultation that it proposed to modify the Scheme to make it easier to administer.
- The majority of those who commented during the consultation welcomed the retention of the Scheme and the level at which it was proposed to set the reduction in rates.
- A standard 25% reduction in rates to all new qualifying applicants will be introduced for properties in which a person with a disability resides where the property has been modified to meet needs arising from the person’s disability. The disabled person must be permanently and substantially disabled by illness, injury, congenital deformity or other reason. They need not be an adult.
- Those existing DPA recipients receiving less than 25% will receive the 25% reduction. Those currently entitled to more than 25% will retain their higher (percentage) entitlement until such times as their circumstances change.
- The Scheme will be administered by the Rate Collection Agency whose officers will carry out the inspections of properties and issue decisions.
- The application process will require the applicant to indicate that they are content for the RCA to obtain, if it is considered necessary, a medical opinion from a health professional in relation to the disability. Any costs for the medical opinion will be met by the Department.
- The use of a private garage for a motor vehicle used by the disabled person or a heating installation in the dwelling will from April 2007 no longer be considered circumstances which qualify for a reduction. Heating installations and garages will no longer qualify as items on which the reduction can be made.
