The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has welcomed a significant increase in the amount of money people with disabilities can earn before they lose their medical card.

The Government recently announced that the so-called ‘income disregard’ would rise from €6,000 a year to €22,000. ICTU called this a “significant development in removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities.”

Unions believe the change, which is in line with a recommendation in the 2017 inter-departmental report ‘Make Work Pay,’ will remove the fear of losing a medical card for many people with disabilities who want to work.

People with disabilities are currently only half as likely to be in employment as other people of working age.