101. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the once-off €500 dost of disability payment announced in Budget 2027 will be paid to people who received disability allowance but have since moved to the State pension on reaching 66 years given that the additional costs of their disability continue; and if he will consider extending the payment to this group. [74633/26]

107. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify the eligibility criteria for the €500 cost of disability payment announced in Budget 2027; whether persons who were formerly in receipt of disability allowance but who were required to transfer to the State Pension (Non-Contributory) on reaching pension age are excluded from the payment; the number of such pensioners affected; and whether he will consider extending eligibility to pensioners with long-term disabilities who continue to incur significant disability-related costs. [74688/26]

112. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of concerns that older persons with significant disabilities who have transitioned from disability allowance to the State Pension (Non-Contributory) may face substantial additional costs arising from disability, including transport to essential medical appointments and ongoing care needs, but are excluded from the €500 cost of disability payment announced in Budget 2027. [74689/26]

113. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if individuals who transferred from a long-term disability payment to the State pension at 66 will qualify for the new cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74881/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 101, 107, 112 and 113 together.

The Government recognises the additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people.  My Department provides a range of income support payments for disabled people of working age and a different suite of payments for those aged 66 or over.

In keeping with this, the new Cost of Disability Payment will be made to people who are in receipt of one of those working age disability payments.

This means that, in quarter 1, 2027, this will be paid as a lump sum payment of €500 to working-age people in receipt of a long-term disability payment from my Department, specifically Blind Pension, Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, and Partial Capacity Benefit.  The new payment will be made to approximately 240,000 people at an estimated cost of €119 million.  Building on the detailed consultation already undertaken, there will be further engagement with disabled people and their representatives in relation to the shape of the payment in future years.

It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the number of State Pension recipients with a disability from my Department's administrative data.  This is because a person may have a disability without having previously been in receipt of a disability-related income support from my Department.

As a result of Budget 2027, over €30 billion will be spent on social welfare in 2027, including almost €1.15 billion of new measures.  I recognise that disabled people of any age can incur additional costs.  The Budget package includes a range of measures to support people in receipt of a State Pension as well as disabled people.

The State pension is paid at a higher rate than payments for disabled people of working age.  As a result of Budget 2027, the maximum rate of Non-contributory State Pension will increase to €298 and the Contributory State Pension will increase to €309.30 from January 2027.

Those in receipt of long term social welfare payments such as State Pension and Disability Allowance will also benefit from a Christmas bonus, double week payment, to be paid in December 2026.

Recipients of Fuel Allowance will also benefit from a €5 increase in that payment from €38 to €43 per week.  This amounts to an increase of €140 over the Fuel Allowance season, meaning a total payment of over €1,200 in 2027.  I have also increased the allowable means for a single person aged over 66 from €534 to €640.80, making it easier to qualify for Fuel Allowance.  This is expected to benefit approximately 10,000 people at an estimated cost of €9.8 million in 2027.

In addition, recipients of the Living Alone Increase, over 149,500 of whom are in receipt of a State Pension will see an increase to €25 per week from next January.  This payment has increased by nearly 178% since 2019, when it was just €9 per week.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.