Humphreys defends delay over means testing asylum allowance

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Social Protection Minister has defended the timing around means testing an allowance for international protection applicants.

Since June, the State has been carrying out a means test for the daily expenses allowance for asylum seekers in State-provided accommodation.

Applicants had been entitled to an allowance of up to €38.80 per week, but it is now dependent on their income.

The rate is reduced for those earning more than €60 per week and entirely cut off for anyone earning more than €125.

Minister Heather Humphreys, who has been in the role since 2020, announced the means test for the allowance a number of weeks before the local and European elections.

However, the State has had the power to bring in means testing for such payments since 2018.

Asked why she dd not implement the measure sooner, the minister said “there was a lot going on”.

She added: “Since 2020, there’s a lot of things that have happened in the Department of Social Protection. We were in the middle of the pandemic – the pandemic unemployment payment, there was the war in Ukraine.”

Ms Humphreys said she “immediately signed the regulations” when it was brought to her attention in April following an inspection by the Comptroller and Auditor General.

She added: “Since then, 5,000 payments have been stopped and we will continue to means test from now.”

Asked how much taxpayers’ money was lost by not means testing the payments prior to this year, she said she did not have the figure to hand.

Ms Humphreys was speaking to reporters at Connolly Station in Dublin for an event marking the extension of free travel passes.

From this week, the free travel scheme is being extended to people who have never been able to drive due to a disability, and to drivers who have a licence and are medically certified as not fit to drive for a period of 12 months or longer.