Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payments.
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:
1372
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if the Government has plans to bring the carer's allowance in line with the minimum wage criteria, allowing that a carer's working week for this purpose be equated to a 39 hour week; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[20553/03]
Finian McGrath
Question:
1384
Mr. F. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if support will be given to the Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus; if she will respond to their concern for the expansion of the carer's allowance for families looking after a person with a disability on a full-time basis; and if they will be given the maximum assistance.
[21203/03]
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 1372 and 1384 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. It is an income support payment and not a payment for caring.
As with all other social assistance schemes, a means test applies, under which the income of the applicant and his/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 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. However, there is a commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government to expand the income limits for the carer's allowance so that all those on average industrial incomes can qualify. Progress towards this will continue to be considered in the budgetary context.
With regard to the issue of providing support to the Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, my Department provides grants for the dissemination of information on social welfare entitlements and other social services. It is open to the Irish Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus or any other non-statutory agency to apply for such a grant under these criteria.
In relation to future developments in the care area, I recently launched a comprehensive study on the future financing of long-term care, carried out by Mercer Human Resource Consultants on behalf of my Department. In order to make progress in the area of policy on long-term care, I now propose to embark on a consultation process on the financing of long-term care. This process will commence shortly and will take place over about a three month period.
It is envisaged that the feedback from the consultation process will be the starting point for meeting the commitment in the partnership document Sustaining Progress to, "Establish a Working Group to examine the strategic policy, cost and service delivery issues associated with the care of older people". I would hope that this working group could be established early in 2004.
Meanwhile, improvements in the carer's allowance scheme will be kept under review in a budgetary context. The development of the range of supports for carers will continue to be a priority for this Government and, building on the foundations now in place, we will continue to develop the types of services which recognise the value of the caring ethos and which provide real support and practical assistance to people who devote their time to improving the quality of life for others.
