Publication
Get work supports if you have a disability
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
If you have a disability and want to start work, return to work or continue in work, there are a range of supports available to you. There are also supports available for employers to make your workplace more suitable if needed
Intreo (the Irish Public Employment Services) is a single point of contact for all employment services.
Your local Intreo Centre can provide you with support and advice on:
- job seeking services and skills
- relevant job vacancies
- advice on training opportunities
- disability supports and grants
- income support (your weekly payment)
Intreo also provides:
- a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
The Local Employment (LES) Services are provided by companies working on behalf of Intreo.
Your Local Employment (LES) service can provide you with support and advice on:
- job seeking services and skills
- relevant job vacancies
- advice on training opportunities
- disability supports and grants
Local Employment (LES) Services also provides:
- a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
The EmployAbility Services are provided by companies working on behalf of Intreo. They provide a specialist employment service for people with disabilities. Your Intreo Case Officer (or LES Mediator) can refer you to the service if you both agree you would benefit from the supports these companies offer - which includes job coaching support and in-employment support. EmployAbility Services also provide a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
Contact your local Intreo centre or Local Employment (LES) Service for more details.
The Department of Social Protection funds the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (AHEAD) to deliver the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme and the ‘Get Ahead’ programme for third-level students and graduates with disabilities.
WAM is a work placement programme that helps graduates with disabilities get employment. Find out more here.
In August 2021, the Minister for Social Protection announced funding of €7.2 million under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2021 to support initiatives under a measure "to Support Employment, Education and Training Outcomes for People with a Disability”. Pobal is managing the process on behalf of the department.
This measure has two key objectives:
- to support People with Disabilities: to access employment; improve their career progression opportunities “in work” and to improve their employment outcomes through education and training; and
- to support potential employers to provide employment for People with Disabilities.
Applications for funding were sought from relevant community and voluntary organisations nationwide. 45 local, regional and national projects were selected for funding and the delivery period for the successful applicants is from 1st September 2021 to 31st December 2022.
Further details are available on Pobal’s website here.
Visit our dedicated webpage for information on training and education supports.
If you have a disability and you are starting a new job, you may be able to keep some of your existing benefits.
If you are getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, you can keep your full payment while earning up to €140 per week from employment or self-employment.
If you earn over €140 a week from work, half of your earnings between €140 and €350 are not included in the Disability Allowance or Blind Pension means test.
Any earnings from work over €350 per week are assessed as income on a euro (€1) for euro (€1) basis, that is your Disability Allowance or the Blind Pension will be reduced by a €1 for every €1 earned from employment above €350 per week.
If you are on Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, other schemes that may be available to you are:
- the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) which provides farmers and fishermen and women with income support while they also make a contribution to their communities
- the Community Employment Programme (CE) which provides work experience and training opportunities for people within their communities
If you are getting Invalidity Pension or you have been getting Illness Benefit for six months or more, and you want to take up work, you can apply for Partial Capacity Benefit. This scheme means that you may be able to continue to receive some additional income while working.
Please note you cannot start work until you have received written permission to do so from the department, following consideration of your Partial Capacity Benefit application.
The rate of payment you will receive, in addition to your own earnings, is based on your current Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit payment and a medical assessment. There is no risk to your benefits in undertaking this assessment. The scheme is voluntary and designed to give you an income boost in work.
Under this scheme, you can go back to your original payment if you need to, provided you continue to satisfy your underlying claim conditions.
To find out more, get in touch with the Partial Capacity Benefit team.
If you are returning to full-time or part-time work, you may be able to keep your medical card. Visit the HSE website for more details.
- If you are working and still receiving a Disability Allowance payment, you keep your entitlement to the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme.
- If you are working and still receiving a Blind Pension payment, you keep your entitlement to the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme.
- If you move to a Partial Capacity Benefit payment, from an Invalidity Pension payment only, you keep your entitlement to the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme for five years.
- If you move off Disability Allowance, to a job, you keep your entitlement to the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme for five years.
- If you move off the Blind Pension to a job, you keep your entitlement to the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme, once you continue to be registered with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI).
Full detailed information on the Free Travel (Pass) Scheme is available here.
You can use the Benefit of Work Estimator if you are getting disability or illness payments. This shows how income from employment may affect your social welfare payment.
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund provides financial support for people with a disability and their employers which include:
To get this funding you must be employed or starting a job in the private sector.
A grant of up to €1,000 is available through the Training Support Grant where a dedicated officer identifies a skills gap that prevents you from getting a job. This grant offers funding for:
- short term training
- new certification/ permit
- renewing certification/ permit
The Disability Awareness Support Scheme provides funding for private sector employers to give disability awareness training to staff who work with a colleague who has a disability.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to employ people with a disability. The employee must work between 21 and 39 hours a week.
You can find out more information by contacting your local Intreo Centre.
In line with public health guidelines we suggest that you make contact by email or telephone to minimise visits to Intreo Centres.
