‘Penalised for having a job’: Blind tech worker ‘disheartened’ at ineligibility for Budget 2027 disability payment

The cost-of-disability support grant is a new lump-sum payment worth €500 a year. It recognises that disabled people can face extra expenses for equipment, transport, energy and other disability-related needs. The grant matters because these costs can remain high even when someone receives welfare support or has limited income.

Eligibility is linked to receiving certain long-term disability welfare payments. These include disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension and partial capacity benefit. The payment is therefore based on a person receiving one of those supports, rather than being available automatically to every disabled adult.

An estimated 283,000 people will receive the grant in early 2027. However, disabled workers earning above €27,830 a year will not qualify. The Department of Social Protection describes the grant as an important first step and says it will consult disabled people and their advocates about future development.

Brian Dalton is blind, uses a wheelchair and works as a senior accessibility engineer. His job means he earns above the grant’s income threshold of €27,830. Because the payment is restricted to disabled workers below that threshold or people receiving specified long-term disability welfare payments, his employment excludes him.

His disability-related costs have not disappeared because he works. They include assistive technology, wheelchair purchase and upkeep, transport and extra energy use because he feels the cold more than mobile people. Dalton says he spends between €5,000 and €10,000 extra in an average year, with costs changing when equipment needs replacement or updating.

Dalton says this made him feel penalised for having a job. He has a mortgage, bills and two children, while his partially blind wife works part-time and also needs costly equipment. He wants the grant extended to all disabled adults, or a €500 tax credit for working disabled people.

The new cost-of-disability support grant is a lump-sum payment of €500 per year. It is intended to recognise some of the additional costs associated with disability. Those costs can include assistive technology, wheelchair expenses, transport and higher energy bills, although the payment is not described as covering those costs in full.

The Government estimates that 283,000 people will receive the payment in early 2027. Eligible recipients include disabled people receiving disability allowance, blind pension, invalidity pension or partial capacity benefit. These listed welfare payments form the main route into the new support.

There is a specific restriction for disabled people who work. They will not receive the grant if they earn above €27,830 per year. This limit is why Brian Dalton, despite substantial disability-related expenses, is excluded. A campaign group is seeking either wider eligibility or a €500 tax credit for working disabled people.

Disability can create regular costs that other people may not face. The article lists assistive technology, buying and maintaining a wheelchair, transport and increased energy use. Brian Dalton also says his wife, who is partially blind, needs powerful magnifiers. These expenses can affect household budgets even when disabled people are working.

The amount can vary sharply from year to year. Dalton says he may need to buy a new wheelchair or update technology, and estimates his average extra spending at €5,000 to €10,000 annually. His figure shows how personal equipment needs can make costs unpredictable rather than fixed.

A 2021 Indecon report commissioned by the Department of Social Protection found that people with disabilities spent between €8,700 and €12,300 extra on items directly related to being disabled. The proposed grant is €500 a year, so it would cover only part of the additional spending described in the article.

When disabled people earn above the threshold, they can lose access to the new grant even though their disability-related costs continue. Employment may raise income, but it does not remove the need for wheelchairs, assistive technology, transport, powerful magnifiers or extra heating. The result can be a gap between eligibility rules and everyday costs.

Brian Dalton illustrates that gap. He works, has a mortgage, bills and two children, and says his family also faces costs linked to his wife’s partial blindness. He estimates spending €5,000 to €10,000 extra in an average year. Some years cost more when equipment must be replaced or updated.

Dalton says it was the first time he felt penalised for having a job. He and the Working Disabled People campaign want the grant extended to all disabled adults, or a €500 tax credit for working disabled people who are excluded. The Department says further consultation is planned.

The main difference is how the two supports are designed and assessed. Ireland’s proposed grant is a €500 annual lump sum for people receiving specified long-term disability welfare payments. Working disabled people earning above €27,830 are excluded, even if their disability creates major extra expenses.

The UK’s Personal Independence Payment, or PIP, works differently in Dalton’s account. His friends in the UK receive a weekly payment while working. It is assessed against their disability needs, so employment does not automatically prevent access. That approach focuses more directly on the costs and support needs linked to disability.

Dalton says he is envious of this system because he receives no equivalent help in Ireland. The proposed Irish payment is expected to reach 283,000 people in early 2027, but campaigners want it extended to all disabled adults or replaced for excluded workers by a €500 tax credit.

Disability payments may separate income from disability costs because earning money does not necessarily remove the expenses created by a disability. A person can have wages and still need specialist technology, mobility equipment, transport or extra energy. Looking at both factors can help policymakers decide who needs cost-related support and how much.

The article shows why this distinction matters. Brian Dalton works and earns a good salary, but estimates spending €5,000 to €10,000 extra each year. His costs include a wheelchair, assistive technology, transport and energy. An Indecon report found average direct disability-related costs of €8,700 to €12,300 for people with disabilities.

The new Irish grant nevertheless uses welfare eligibility and an income limit. That means some working disabled people receive no payment despite substantial expenses. Dalton’s campaign wants wider access or a tax credit. The Department says disabled people and their representatives will be consulted about future development.