AHEAD: Association for Higher Education Access & Disability
Creating inclusive environments in education & employment for people with disabilities.

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Illness/Disability Payment Information

The following are general guidelines and apply only to those who participate in the AHEAD WAM Programme and who are in receipt of illness/disability related payments from the Department of Social Protection (DSP). The rules regarding these payments are extensive and AHEAD is not an expert in this area. Entitlements to welfare benefits are based on a case by case assessment basis and are generally governed by either social insurance contributions or means tested rules. Means tested rules will also apply to earnings received during the AHEAD WAM Programme.

The DSP has confirmed the following arrangements for those graduates in receipt of illness/disability payments who take up a WAM work placement, as follows:

  • Means-tested payments (i.e. Disability Allowance and Blind Persons Pension) will be recalculated based on earnings and income and may be suspended for the duration of the WAM work placement. Payments will be recalculated again on completion of the WAM work placement.
  • Insurance based payments (i.e. Invalidity Pension & Illness Benefit) will be suspended for the duration of the work placement but will be reinstated on completion of the work placement. The WAM participant will not have to re-apply for the payment when their WAM work placement is finished.
  • Graduates in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) will continue to receive their PCB Payment for the duration of the WAM work placement.

Full information on all payments above, including DSP contact details, are available on Gov.ie at the following links:

You can also find useful information about work options for People with Disabilities on the Citizens Information website at this link.

If you are successful in securing a WAM work placement, you will be required to supply your PPSN to WAM who will liaise with the DSP on your behalf. All PPSN information is deleted from WAM’s files once it is passed onto the department.

The WAM Team will inform the DSP of your starting date however, the WAM participant will be responsible for informing the DSP the finish date of the WAM work placement.  

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© AHEAD
Creating Inclusive Environments in Education and Employment for People with Disabilities

East Hall, UCD, Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.
T +353 1 592 1467 E ahead@ahead.ie W www.ahead.ie RCN 20025182