Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 29 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 4

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Richard Bruton

Question:

203 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his estimate of the total numbers of carers providing essential support to incapacitated persons in the community nationally and in Dublin; the plans he has to introduce any form of recognition for such carers; if he will allow them to register as carers and be assessed in respect of their need for support, in their own right, for help with the tasks of caring; the number of carers who are currently receiving support from his Department; and the support they are receiving. [18997/00]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Support for carers is provided by a range of Government Departments, including the Department of Health and Children, the Department of Finance and my own Department. The issue for which my Department has responsibility is the carer's allowance scheme.

The Review of the Carer's Allowance, which was published by my Department in October 1998, noted that it is difficult to estimate the number of full-time carers in the country. While care groups have estimated this figure to be around 100,000 carers, it is not clear that all of these are full-time carers. Based on work in the review, the current figure is estimated to be around 50,000 people, including those caring for older people and adults and children with disabilities. While details of this group on a regional basis are not available, the table below give county details for those in receipt of the carer's allowance.

Number of recipients for carers allowance by county, 1999, estimated: Carlow 217; Cavan 320; Clare 399; Cork 1,269; Donegal 1,054; Dublin 2,035; Galway 1,071; Kerry 800; Kildare 393; Kilkenny 316; Laois 214; Leitrim 175; Limerick 773; Longford 244; Louth 313; Mayo 1,000; Meath 354; Monaghan 321; Offaly 308; Roscommon 329; Sligo 279; Tipperary 726; Waterford 315; Westmeath 302; Wexford 490; Wicklow 370; Total 14,387.

The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit.

At the end of May 2000, there were 15,380 carer's allowances in payment compared to just over 9,200 when this Government came to office three years ago. This represents an increase of over 67 per cent in the number of carers receiving the allowance during that period. Over the same period expenditure on carer's allowance has grown from £36.5 million to an estimated £78.3 million this year, an increase of 115%.

Following a detailed examination of the review of the carer's allowance a range of measures were introduced in the last two budgets to improve and develop the position of carers. The main supports for carers in receipt of the carer's allowance or carers who are caring for recipients of a constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, in addition to the weekly income support payment, are as follows:

Free Travel pass for all qualified carers. Free telephone rental allowance for all qualified carers. Free electricity allowance and free television licence schemes for all qualified carers from next October. Annual payment of £300 towards respite care. The ‘full-time care and attention' rule has been relaxed to allow carers in receipt of carer's allowance to take up paid employment for up to 10 hours per week qualified carers are no longer required to satisfy ‘13 paid contribution' rule when claiming disability benefit. Credited PRSI contributions for all qualified carers. Carers who have ceased their caring responsibilities will be eligible for the back to education allowance scheme from next September. The new carer's benefit scheme, which will be introduced next October, is specifically intended to support people who must leave the workforce to care for someone who is in need of full-time care and attention.

As already stated, the carer's allowance is an income support payment. The review proposed the introduction of a non-means tested ‘continual care' payment to recognise carers providing the highest levels of care and to promote care in the community.

It envisaged that this payment would be made, irrespective of income or social welfare entitlement, to carers caring for those who are in the highest category of dependency. In order to differentiate between the levels of care and care needs, the review considered that a needs assessment encompassing both the needs of the care recipient and the carer should be introduced, and that the ‘continual care' payment could then be introduced following the introduction of such an assessment system. It was considered that a needs assessment would separate care needs from income support needs and could potentially be used by all State organisations which provide reliefs or grants to those in need of care.

The introduction of a system of needs assessment is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Health and Children. Establishing a pilot study was identified as a priority in the Government's review of its action programme and I understand that this is well advanced in the Western Health Board area. Developing the needs assessment system to encompass the type of register suggested by the Deputy would also be a matter for the Minister for Health and Children to consider.

As is clear from the many improvements which have been made in recent budgets the position of carers is being actively advanced. Further improvements will be considered in the context of our key priorities in the care area, as set out in the review of our action programme.