Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 Schedule 3 Part 4

Means test - Supplementary welfare allowance

Schedule 3 Part 4 sets out how a person's weekly means are calculated when assessing entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance, including what income and assets count towards the means test and what is disregarded.

• Capital and investments: The weekly value of any property capable of generating income (excluding your home, personal possessions, and leased farmland) is assessed as means, whether or not you actually invest it.
• Cash income counts but with exclusions: All cash income is assessed, but numerous items are disregarded including guardian's payments, domiciliary care allowance, carer's support grant, maintenance for children, and certain earnings from employment schemes.
• Special rules for rent/mortgage supplement recipients: If you receive help with housing costs, the first €75 of additional income plus 25% of anything above that is disregarded, after deducting tax contributions, PRSI, and auto-enrolment pension contributions.
• Deprivation of assets: If you have given away money or property to qualify for the allowance, the value of what you disposed of will still be counted as your means.