Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Noel Ahern

Question:

753 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the carer's allowance scheme and introduce a higher payment for carers who look after two or more persons who can be certified on medical grounds as needing a carer. [15703/96]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

The carer's allowance is a social assistance scheme which provides an income maintenance payment to people who are providing elderly or incapacitated pensioners with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below certain limits. Under present arrangements, only one allowance is payable per carer. The carer's allowance has been improved and expanded progressively since it was first introduced in 1990. In 1995, for example, the weekly disregard of £100 in respect of the earnings of the carer's spouse was increased to £150 a week and the scheme was further improved with the inclusion of carers who look after the recipients of occupational pensions. Last month, the weekly personal rate of the carer's allowance was increased by £5 to £67.50 which represents an 8 per cent increase on last year's rate.

I also announced last month the introduction of new regulations which change the basis of assessment of means of carers for the purpose of determining entitlement to rent and mortgage interest supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance. As a result of these changes, carers who are receiving rent or mortgage interest supplements from the health boards stand to benefit by as much as £29 per week. The new regulations also mean that some applicants who previously failed to qualify on the basis of their means will now be in a position to qualify for the allowance. The question of introducing further improvements such as in respect of carers who are looking after two or more persons is one of a number of issues which will be considered in the context of a review of the carer's allowance which is currently under way.