NEWS: Government launch public consultation on true cost of living with a disability

The Government is inviting the public to share their perspectives on the true cost of living with a disability through a newly launched consultation.

As part of its commitment, the Programme for Government plans to introduce a permanent yearly Cost of Disability Support Payment. The consultation welcomes ideas on how this payment should be structured and delivered.

Insights gathered from the public will directly influence the agenda of the upcoming Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability, set for 13 May 2026 and led by Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.

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The Summit is part of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, which acknowledges the additional costs disabled people face, including transport, healthcare, education, communication, and household expenses. Addressing these costs requires coordinated action across all areas of government.

The public consultation is open until 5pm on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. You can participate in the government via its website, and submissions are accepted in writing, by video, or by telephone. The consultation coincides with a planned national protest in Dublin on 28 February, which supports a campaign for an emergency energy credit for people with disabilities. The HSE has also issued an apology after a letter was sent to the mother of an adult child with an intellectual disability, warning of her “legal obligation” to provide financial support “indefinitely.” An HSE spokesperson stated that the regional manager who wrote the letter “did not intend to cause any upset.”