Vol. 483 No. 4
26 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the proposals, if any, he has to correct the anomaly whereby a widow who was in receipt of a carer's allowance loses this allowance when she qualifies for the widow's pension; and the steps, if any, he will take to correct this serious anomaly. [16424/97]
40 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether he has met with the Carer's Association of Ireland; and, if so, if he will make a statement on the matter. [20556/97]
118 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs whether he will make carer's allowance available to a wider group of beneficiaries in view of the fact that the alternative to carer's allowance is much more costly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20732/97]
123 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the circumstances by which a widow who is in receipt of a company pension from her late husband's employment, a pension from another country and a civil service pension arising from her late husband's employment can qualify for a carer's allowance; and if he will give details of the numbers who are in receipt of this allowance from his Department. [20743/97]
124 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the circumstances by which a widow in receipt of a contributory or non contributory pension from his Department can qualify for a carer's allowance; the amount which she will receive in this regard; and if he will give the number of these widows who are in receipt of carer's allowances. [20744/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 40, 118, 123 and 124 together.
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.
The maximum weekly payment in respect of carer's allowance is £70.50; the maximum widow's contributory pension is £71.10 and the maximum widow's non-contributory pension is £67.50. Regulations preclude, with very few exceptions, the payment of welfare benefits and allowances concurrently.
The Department does not maintain statistics on the number of widow-widowers who are also in receipt of a carer's allowance. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate the cost of paying a carer's allowance in addition to a widow's pension.
However, any expansion of the carer's allowance scheme to include a wider group of beneficiaries would have cost implications which would have to be examined in a budgetary context.
