Security of the Elderly.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2006

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Questions (407, 408, 409, 410)

David Stanton

Question:

455 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount saved by the operation of the means test for the carer’s allowance in the most recent complete year for which data is available; the percentages of that amount that are attributable to the carer’s own income from earnings and self-employment, the carer’s own income from other sources, the carer’s own investments, the means of the person’s spouse and other item of means; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10343/06]

Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mr. Brennan)

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

In line with other social assistance schemes, a means test is applied to the carer's allowance so as to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need. This means test has been eased significantly over the years, most notably with the introduction of disregards of spouses' earnings.

Following budget 2006, from April 2006, a couple with two children can earn up to €32,925 per annum and still receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The same couple will be able to earn up to €54,400 and receive the minimum rate of carer's allowance as well as the free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant.

The precise information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. However the following may be of assistance. The cost of the abolition of the means test is estimated at €140 million in a full year. It is debatable whether such a proposal could be considered to be the best use of resources. The view of some support organisations is that if this kind of money were available, it would be more beneficial to carers if it were invested in the type of community care services which would support them in their caring role, such as additional respite care facilities, more home helps, public health nurses and other such services.

Of the current payments of carer's allowance, 91% are at the maximum rate and 9% at reduced rates. The rate of refusal for the allowance is 22% of all applications that were received in 2005.

The reasons for refusal of the allowance are as follows and relate to 2005:

Carer's Allowance — Reasons for Refusal

		%
Full-time care not required	966	49
Means exceeded the statutory limit	199	10
Full-time care not being provided	193	10
Carer working for more than 10 hours per week	106	5
Habitual residence condition not satisfied	58	3
Other miscellaneous reasons	453	23
Total refused in 2005	1,975	100

David Stanton

Question:

456 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proportion of carers who are known to have resumed employment or transferred to another social welfare payment within three months of when their entitlement to carer’s benefit or allowance ceased in the most recent 12 months for which data is readily available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10344/06]

David Stanton

Question:

457 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average age of carers at the time of application; the proportion of carers aged under 40 years, under 55 years and under 60 years when they first apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10345/06]

David Stanton

Question:

472 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of carers claims that ceased in the most recent complete year due to the death of the person being cared for, the admission of that person to an institution, a change of residence of that person, a recovery in the ability of person being cared for, the carer's own death, the carer's incapacity, the carer ceasing to act as with another person applying to become carer, an increase in the carers assessable means, and all other reasons. [10718/06]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mr. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 456, 457 and 472 together.

Support for carers has been a priority of Government since 1997. Payments to carers have been greatly improved over that period and qualifying conditions for carers allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carers benefit and the respite care payment have been introduced. The further development of support for carers continues to be a priority for me and for the Government. As of the week ending 10 March 2006, there are now 25,361 persons in receipt of carer's allowance. The information requested by the Deputy has been prepared in tabular format as follows:

Entitlement to carer's allowance or benefit ceased in 2005

	No
Gone to work*	113
From Carer’s Benefit to Carer’s Allowance	165
To Widows Contributory Pension	277
To Widows Non-contributory Pension	11
To Retirement Pension	30
To Old Age Pension Non Con Pension	74
To Old Age Contributory Pension	25
To One Parent Family Payment	50
To Disability Allowance	18

	No
To Invalidity Pension	2
To Disability Benefit	209
To Maternity Benefit	12
To FIS (Family income Supplement)	18
To BTWA (Back to Work Allowance)	4
To Unemployment Assistance	308
To Unemployment Benefit	98
To Back to Education Allowance	18
Total	1,432

The figure marked with an asterisk refers to carer's allowance claims only.

Age groups of carers at time of application in 2005

Age Group	Carer’s Allowance (CA)	% of total CA received	Carer’s Benefit (CB)	% of total CB received	Total	% of total received
under 40 years	2,503	32	691	37	3,194	33
40-54 years	3138	40	854	46	3992	41
55 to 59 years	876	11	164	9	1,040	11
over 60 years	1,345	17	142	8	1,487	15
Total	7,862		1,851		9,713

Termination reasons for carer's allowance and carer's benefit in 2005

	Carer’s Allowance (CA)	% of total CA terminated	Carer’s Benefit	% of total CB terminated
Death of care recipient	1,381	55	179	30
Recovery of care recipient	3	0.12
Death of carer	27	1.1	2	0.3
Increase in means	49	1.9
Withdrawn by carer	93	3.7
Full time care no longer provided*	572	22.7	5	0.8
Gone to work**	113	4.5
Transfer to other pension	118	4.7
Other	161	6.4
Carer’s Benefit exhausted			413	69
Total terminations	2,517		599

*The figures for 'full time care no longer provided' include figures for cases where the care recipient has been admitted to hospital/full time nursing care, care no longer being provided due to the incapacity of the carer and cases where another carer is now providing the care.

**Gone to work figures available for carer's allowance only. Figure for carer's benefit exhausted would also include cases where the carer has returned to work.

Question No. 458 answered with QuestionNo. 450.