14 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether recipients on long-term graduated disability benefit can continue with reduced disability benefit and avail of disabled person's maintenance allowance or if they must remain on reduced disability benefit and supplementary welfare allowance thereby losing £2.10 weekly and secondary benefits. [1299/96]

People in receipt of a graduated rate of disability benefit may opt to forgo this payment in favour of disabled person's maintenance allowance if they satisfy the medical and means provisions of that scheme and may, subject to the qualifying conditions, also qualify for a medical card and other secondary benefits. They may also continue to submit medical certificates to the Department of Social Welfare for the purpose of recording credits so that their possible future entitlement to social welfare payments is safeguarded.