For many people living with disabilities in Ireland, the latest budget brought a familiar feeling. A few extra euro here, a small tweak there, but nothing that fundamentally shifts the needle on day-to-day life.
Small increases to disability allowance and related payments were announced, and while recipients say every bit counts, the broader picture remains largely unchanged for one of the most financially vulnerable groups in the country.
“It all helps, but there is not a whole lot in it for people like me,” said one disability allowance recipient, summing up a sentiment shared widely across the community. That kind of cautious, tired response has become almost routine after budget day for disabled people who have long been calling for more meaningful reform.
Disability advocates have pointed out for years that people with disabilities face significantly higher living costs than the general population. Specialist equipment, medications, transport needs, home care supports and accessible housing all add up fast. A modest bump to a weekly payment, they argue, does not come close to addressing that gap.
The cost of disability itself is a concept that has gained traction in policy conversations in recent years, following research showing that disabled people need considerably more income just to reach the same standard of living as non-disabled people. Despite that research being well known at government level, campaigners say it has yet to translate into real budgetary action.
Organisations representing people with disabilities had gone into budget week pushing for a dedicated cost of disability payment, something that would acknowledge the extra financial burden that comes with living with a long-term condition or impairment. That call was not answered in any significant way.
The increases that were announced apply across a range of payments including disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind pension. The changes will give recipients a small boost to their weekly income, which will be welcomed, but critics say it is simply not enough given inflation and the rising cost of living that has hit everyone hard over the past two years.
Housing remains one of the most pressing issues. Accessible and affordable housing is in desperately short supply, and many disabled people are stuck in unsuitable accommodation or on long waiting lists for housing adaptation grants. The budget did include some funding in this area, but disability groups say the scale of investment does not match the scale of the problem.
Respite care and home support hours are another major pressure point. Families caring for disabled relatives at home have been stretched thin, with many reporting that they simply cannot access enough hours of support to manage. Underfunding in this area has real consequences, pushing some families toward crisis point.
Employment supports for disabled people also came under scrutiny. While there are schemes in place to help disabled people enter or stay in the workforce, many people report that the system is complicated, slow and not always practical. There were no major announcements in this budget to overhaul how employment supports work.
For younger disabled people in particular, the frustration runs deep. Many feel that the system is built around managing poverty rather than enabling full participation in society. The ambition, they say, should be about inclusion and opportunity, not just keeping people afloat.
Disability groups have welcomed the small gains while making clear they see them as nowhere near sufficient. They are already signalling that the campaign for a proper cost of disability payment will continue into next year, and that they will keep pushing for a budget that treats disabled people as a genuine priority rather than an afterthought.
The government has pointed to various measures across the budget as evidence of its commitment to supporting disabled people, including broader cost of living payments that will reach disability allowance recipients. But for many in the community, the overall message from budget day was one they have heard too many times before. A little something, but not enough to change very much at all.