131 Mr. M. McDowell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated number of full-time carers for disabled people in the home; the proportion of these carers in receipt of social welfare; the proportion in receipt of full welfare allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18907/96]
The carer's allowance is a social assistance scheme which provides an income maintenance payment to people who are providing elderly or incapacitated pensioners or certain disabled persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below certain limits.
The Carers' Association, which represents the interests of carers in the home, has estimated that there are in the region of 30,000 full-time carers in the country, but higher estimates are given by some organisations. There are no reliable statistics to indicate the number of full-time carers who are caring for disabled people.
At the end of August this year there were 8,006 carers' allowances in payment from my Department of which 3,066 were in respect of persons caring for recipients of the disability allowance — previously know as the disabled person's maintenance allowance — or an invalidity pension.
Of the total number of allowances in payment, some 6,198 are being paid at the maximum weekly rate of £67.50.
