I propose to take Questions Nos. 29, 34, 40, 43, 48, 122 and 128 together.
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. There are currently 20,600 people in receipt of the allowance at a cost of €160 million last year. As with all other social assistance schemes, a means test applies under which the income of the applicant and his or her partner is assessable. This ensures that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need.
Provision has been made in successive budgets for substantial increases in the means disregards. In April 2003 the weekly income disregards increased to €210 for a single carer and to €420 for a couple. The effect of this increase is that a couple with two children, earning a joint income of up to €24,150 can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The same couple, if they had an income of €39,750, could still qualify for partial carer's allowance, the free schemes and the respite care grant. It is estimated that an additional 1,700 carers now qualify for the allowance and 2,800 existing carers receive an increased payment as a result of this measure.
It is estimated that abolition of the means test could cost in the region of €150 million per annum. In view of the many supports required by carers, particularly community care and respite care, it is considered that abolition of the means test would not necessarily constitute the best use of the resources available for the support of carers.
There are plans to introduce a specific income disregard for applicants for carer's allowance who are in receipt of another social welfare payment when they become carers. With regard to recipients who are no longer full-time carers, they may be entitled to another social welfare payment. For example, those who are 55 or over and are no longer eligible to the carer's allowance may be entitled to the pre-retirement allowance.
In budget 2003 I increased the annual respite care grant by €100 to €735 and to €470 for carers who are caring for more than one person. This increase, which results in a trebling of the grant since its introduction in 1999, acknowledges the valuable work done by carers and demonstrates the Government's commitment to them. All other matters relating to the provision and availability of respite care are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children.
