Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 Schedule 3 Part 5

Means test - Blind pension, Widow's (non-contributory) pension, widower's (non-contributory) pension, guardian's payment (non-contributory), one-parent family payment and carer's allowance

Schedule 3 Part 5 sets out how a person's means are assessed when determining entitlement to certain social welfare payments, including blind pension, widow's/widower's non-contributory pension, surviving civil partner's non-contributory pension, guardian's payment (non-contributory), one-parent family payment, and carer's allowance.

• Capital and property are assessed using a tiered formula that converts savings and investments into a notional weekly income, with the first €20,000 to €50,000 disregarded depending on the payment type.
• Cash income expected over the coming year is assessed, but numerous categories are excluded, including maintenance payments (subject to limits), income from welfare schemes, charitable donations, and certain earnings disregards.
• For couples, means are calculated jointly and then halved; specific rules apply to carers whose partners receive foreign social security payments.
• Deliberate deprivation of assets to qualify for a payment will result in those assets being treated as still belonging to the person.