In fairness Aoife we all know the % of people per population who are fraudulently claiming disability is way higher in Limerick than anywhere else.

Loren I don’t know why I bothered waiting my time responding to you I now realise after that comment you are a ridiculous troll grow up

That’s great to hear.. but are you not annoyed by the people receiving the same allowance when there is nothing wrong with them?

Sorry Laura but I have to ask was your post a joke lmfao…I claim Disability ha stroke at 35 in 2007 and I had to be assessed by the medical Doctor who clearly saw I am bad on my left side but can right with my right hand! I for one one would love to be able to work, so if anyone is looking for someone with one good arm and one good leg please get in touch ..lol.Nite guys

Loren you are referring to disability benefit not allowance when you refer to 7 % benefit which is in effect sick pay not disability payment. 3% is based on the triple test study where claimant were interviewed and medically examined and medical histories reviewed by three different consultants. I was hoping you were only pretending to belief that it was justified to take the passport of everyone with a disability but I see now that you trurlely are t

Loren this didn’t post right first time you are referring to disability benefit not allowance when you refer to 7 % benefit which is in effect sick pay not disability payment. 3% is based on the triple test study where claimant were interviewed and medically examined and medical histories reviewed by three different consultants. I was hoping you were only pretending to belief that it was justified to take the passport of everyone with a disability but I see now that you truely are that disgusting individual personally I feel that you should be deprived of your passport in case you give this country a bad name as bigoted ignorant fools. Again you gave no basis for your opinion as to why you believe 25 % are fraudulent but someone as ignorant as you won’t have any proof just prejudice

Ah common sense, not to often that happens on here !!!!

I know.. I mean, heaven forbid someone might, I dunno, get their facts straight.. It’s not as if the information isn’t freely available..

It really pisses me off, people on disability *allowance* CAN’T work, it’s not that they don’t want to, it’s that they have been deemed unfit. I would doubt that those here bemoaning the disabled whatever help they are rightfully given by the state would like to find themselves as completely reliant as those on this allowance are.

Perhaps it’s those on the dole + one-parent families who should be looked at more closely unless you like paying for cocaine to be shoved up their nose.

Oh Maggie, you really should spend more time in the real world and less time shopping. lol

@margaret….wtf!!! Talk about a stereotypes….life must be great up there on your high horse!!!

To those who are resenting people getting disability, I hope you never have to go through the constant daily pain, and on days of not being able to hold a cup of tea although on days we can get out we seen ok or the pain of watching your child suffer through cancer only to find when they survive that there is nothing out there to help them get back their disrupted lives regardless of how much you try and help them? Do they deserve your derision?

If you’re so sure of your facts have you reported them? Surely that’s got to be the first step in changing the system where there is so much abuse.

Willie O’Dea also needs to take a long look at his own constitutancy where this type of welfare is rampantly abused.

Totally agree with you about the abuse Lauren. I had a housemate who was claiming disability because of a dodgy knee. He had the opportunity to fix it with surgery. Didn’t bother though because he would lose the disability benefit. So I was on one side of the street working and paying my taxes and he was in a pub day in and day out on the other side of the street drinking his happy life away. Useless bxxxix

Would you like to tell me why you think disabled people shouldn’t go on holidays? There are many ways to catch people defrauding the system without punishing genuinely disabled people.

Jaysus, yet another Right-Wing muppet tarring everybody with the same brush. Where in the name of god do they all come from????

@Shneak can you tell me why as a tax payer I should be funding foreign holidays for these people?

In the case of genuinely disabled people I would not be overly concerned about this, however with the people that are abusing the system I certainly do not want to pay for their holidays.

Nobody wants to pay for the holidays of Lazy people that are just scamming the system but putting a blanket ban on foreign travel for people in receipt of disability allowance is ridiculous and will only punish the genuinely disabled people.

Lauren you seem to know lots of people who are abusing disability benefit , firstly what law makes it a crime to go on holidays , if you know people who are breaking the law you should as the model citizen that you are, report them to the relevant authorities , or maybe like the nazi’s in the last world war lock them up , you already made a head start with taking away their passports so you might as well finish them off completely .

I’m on carers allowance. My daughter, who is severely impaired is on disability.
I have been caring for her for the past 33 yrs. I get carers respite annualy+I think I deserve a break so I do go on holiday. I don’t consider that a waste of money. The break helps me to carry on physically + psychologically.

So you want to punish all recipients of disability allowance by removing their passports instead of finding a way to punish only those that abuse the system. How can you possibly think that’s a solution?

Your ignorance is startling. I work with people with intellectual disability and autism do you honestly thing people born with disability should be treated as second class citizens prisons in their own state not allowed to go on holidays with their family. The small amount of abuse of the system is not worth punishing genuinely disabled and sick individuals. I know that in recent times people with severe autism and limited speech have been refused disability allowance as their disability is not visible. A civilised society is judged by how we treat or vulnerable citizens of you are typical we have a very uncivilised society. I hope you never have a disabled child or become disabled you self and face selfish individuals like you

@Betty

It’s actually your igmorance that is startling. If the state were able to weed out the degenerates in society that are abusing the system then there would be far better supports for the genuine cases.

On what basis are you deciding degenerates are abusing the system are you a doctor. To get the allowance you are subjected to a rigorous assessment which even genuine applicants can fail. You do not know the basis of someone’s claim you are not a doctor your lack of compassion is disgusting you want to have all disabled people refused a passport even criminals are not treated like that as I said I hope you never have the misfortune to have a child with a disability karma is a bitch I am not ignorant of disability issues I have am a medical professionals who has worked in the area for twenty years what’s your experience

@Betty

Your experience appears to have delievered you tunnel vision in relation to this matter. While I am aware there are genuine cases I am also aware that this is being seriously abused. Similar to yourself I would like to see the genuine cases being better supported however this can only be done by ridding the system of the abuse.

You obviously reside in an area where the system is not abused. Do you have any experience in areas where it is abused?

As for my experience I have worked on numerous occasions with severely disabled children and I can tell you the last thing on their mind is holidays.

I asked you on what basis you determine that people are abusing the system the studies suggest less than 3% abuse the system. I will ask you again on what basis do you determine they abuse the system did you examine them there are many Invisible disabilities where you can tell what the disability. I also asked you were you seriously suggesting all people in receipt of disability should surrender their passport or was it a knee jerk statement intent on inflaming people as I cannot actually believe a sane individual would advocate such a abuse of disabled people. I would ask you to consider what you are suggesting to get at 3% of those abusing the system.

Lauren,
Have you ever reported anyone you suspect is engaged in disability fraud?

For the benefit of those whinging about disability ALLOWANCE.

There are two types of disability payment from the department of social protection.

There is disability BENEFIT. This is where you go to your doctor and you fill out a form and get a cert signed by your doctor each week which you drop off to the dole office. This is used for short term cases and is the ONLY type of disability someone would be able to claim for a “dodgy knee” or be likely to defraud, as only your GP determines your eligibility.
By the same token, this is what you claim if you have to take “certified sick leave” from work if your employer did not cover your wages.
For the record, if you are on it for any length of time you have to go for assessments with the Department themselves.

Disability ALLOWANCE is a separate thing altogether. In order to go on this you have to be formally assessed, it indicates that you have a disability for which there is little or no hope you will ever recover. This is what people with intellectual, mental and physical disabilities end up on. There’s no certs, and you only get off it if you try your best to rehabilitate.

You’re all calling for the blood of those on disability allowance and you don’t even know the difference between the two.. I’m glad you don’t get to make any big decisions with knees that jerky..

Lauren. I’m absolutely disgusted by your comment. If someone has a disability that means they are unable to work then they are perfectly entitled to have whatever they need to live a good life. I have a brother with a disability and have watched this and previous governments treat these people like crap while the laud it up on their massive salaries and allowances . You should be ashamed of yourself with a comment like that!

@Betty

Can I ask where you got this figure of 3%?

The Oireachtas report from 2009 actually estimates Disability Allowance fraud at 7%. This however is inaccurate and understated as this figure is derived from savings made in the system through catching people out and fraud surveys (which are completely useless). Personally I would estimate the figure well above 25%.

To answer your question yes I do believe all people in receipt of disability allowance should surrender their passport and only be allowed temporary issues until a proper system is put in place. I don’t make knee jerk statements.

I find it amusing that you think I’m advocating the abuse of disabled people. As I stated earlier by weeding out the fraudsters the government would be in a better position to support the genuine people who need this allowance. Do you not agree that the disabled people in this country could benefit from an estimated €100M (which I’ll say again is grossly understated but factual and not pulled out of my backside like your figures) extra that could be recouped from weening out the fraud?

@Paddy

While I do sympathise with your brothers case you are misinterpreting what I am saying. My points are not related to specific cases but to the general problem of the abuse of the system.

You are contradicting yourself by on one hand saying your brother needs more support and on the other hand being disgusted at a measure that should be put in place that would ultimately deliver better supports for him.

Ridiculous comment

Lauren
25%?! Is that your educated opinion? Upon what evidence do you base this?

So because someone has an intellectual disability they should never be allowed to leave the state? My neighbour had a pituitary tumour and the consultants he needed to see were in the US – do you reckon you could deign to allow him have his passport for his health?
Or would the fact he’s confined to his bed these days be enough to convince you he isn’t committing fraud (or would you assume he was exaggerating?)

You could be right on those figures for disability BENEFIT, as I pointed out above, if your GP is willing to sign the cert for you it’s easy enough to claim. But not ALLOWANCE, which is the subject at hand if you would care to look..

Your suggestion is sickening. Treating innocent civilians as criminals because of your assumption that a small proportion *might* be.. Sure why don’t we just lock up everyone called Lauren because *some* of them are lacking empathy..

Lauren. I am not misrepresenting what you are saying. You are suggesting that every disabled person be treated like a criminal to counteract those few who may be defrauding the system. This is morally wrong in a civilised society. I know you don’t relate your points to specific cases and I did not insinuate this but was merely pointing out my experience of the system.

I’m not contradicting myself as I did not at any stage indicate I am pro fraud, i was merely pointing out that i was disgusted by your comments, however you are deluded that if we caught everyone defrauding the system tomorrow that savings would be used to provide any better quality of life for disabled people, I know it wouldn’t. It would likely end up with the banks or to pay more government advisors.

You have no evidence of how your plan could reduce fraud in the system. Not letting someone leave the country will not stop people claiming the allowance. Your plan is immoral, probably in contradiction of human rights, impracticable and would not deliver any results.

Maybe I’m wrong but I doubt very much you are in any way close to disability as you really sound like you haven’t a clue what you are talking about. In a lot of cases a rest period or time away is an effective measure for both care givers and the disabled. You state that the last thing on a disabled persons mind is a holiday, however I’d ask you not to speak for others as if your a mind reader as this is one of the major major problems with disability care in this country!