Vol. 483 No. 3
317 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he has assessed the cost of allowing carers' allowance to be paid along with other social welfare payment such as old age pension; and his views on this reform in view of the fact that the carer's allowance is a recognition of the extra cost and effort involved in providing care for an incapacitated person. [20541/97]
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 persons with disabilities with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below certain limits. It is not intended to be a compensatory payment for earnings foregone nor a payment by the State for the caring services provided. At the end of last September 9,930 people were in receipt of a carer's allowance at an estimated full year cost of £36.4 million.
Regulations preclude, with very few exceptions, the payment of any welfare benefits and allowances concurrently. For illustrative purposes, the payment of an old age pension, in addition to a carer's allowance, to those carers of pensionable age, would cost in the region of £2.5 million per annum.
