People providing full-time care who are in receipt of Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit or Prescribed Relatives Allowance receive the Respite Care Grant automatically, without having to apply for it. The same applies where a Constant Attendance Allowance is in payment in respect of the person being paid for. Payment is made on or after the first Thursday in June of the year to which the payment refers. This is the date each year on which the qualifying conditions must be met in order for the Grant to be paid in respect of that year.
Budget 2005 extended entitlement to the Grant to all full-time carers irrespective of means or contribution record but subject to certain conditions relating to the provision of full-time care and attention. A section was set up in my Department to process applications from people in this newly entitled category.
In 2005 such applications were solicited by means of a press and publicity campaign and as a result over 7,500 people have been paid the Grant in respect of that year. The closing date for receipt of applications in respect of 2005 is 31 December 2006 and applications in respect of 2005 continue to be received. The Grant in respect of 2006 is payable to people who meet the qualifying conditions on Thursday 1 June 2006 and is payable on or as soon as practicable after that date.
Applications for the 2006 Grant from those not entitled to receive it automatically by virtue of their primary payment, are being solicited in two phases. First, those who applied for and received the Grant in 2005 have been written to enclosing a brief questionnaire to establish whether they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of the Grant in 2006. On foot of this initiative, to date, approximately 6,000 applications have been received. In addition, a small number of unsolicited applications in respect of 2006 have been received and are also being processed. To date 1,191 Grants have been paid to successful applicants.
The second phase of the campaign to identify those people who may be eligible for the Grant for the first time in 2006 will take the form of a press and publicity campaign. This will take place over the coming months. An example of a person who may be entitled to the Grant for the first time in 2006 would be a carer who is employed or self-employed for a period of between 10 and 15 hours per week and would thus be in a positionto avail of the increase in the number of permitted hours of employment or self-employment outside the home, announced in Budget 2006.
By its very nature the receipt of a large volume of applications over a relatively short period creates pressures in the section processing them. However every effort is made to process these applications as soon as possible. I am satisfied that the actions being taken will ensure that the 2006 Grant applications, will be processed at the earliest possible date.
In the case to which the Deputy refers, I understand the application was successful and payment will issue shortly.