The estimated expenditure on carers in 2012 is over €771 million: €509 million on carer’s allowance, €24 million on carer’s benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 million on domiciliary care allowance. This represents an increase of almost €20 million on expenditure in 2011. Carer’s also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million.
The principal source of data for other jurisdictions is MISSOC, the 'Mutual Information System on Social Protection / Social Security'. The system includes information on Social Protection in all 27 Member States of the European Union, the three countries of the European economic area - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - as well as Switzerland.
The tables below provide the information requested by the Deputy:
|
Changes to Rate of Respite Care Grant - 2002-2013
|
|
Year
|
Rate of Grant
€
|
% change over previous year
|
|
2002
|
635
|
25
|
|
2003
|
735
|
15.7
|
|
2004
|
835
|
13.6
|
|
2005
|
1,000
|
19.8
|
|
2006
|
1,200
|
20
|
|
2007
|
1,500
|
25
|
|
2008
|
1,700
|
13.3
|
|
2009
|
1,700
|
0
|
|
2010
|
1,700
|
0
|
|
2011
|
1,700
|
0
|
|
2012
|
1,700
|
0
|
|
2013
|
1,375
|
-19
|
|
Changes to Rate of Carer’s Allowance – Under Age 66 – 2002 -2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rate €
|
Increase €
|
Increase %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002
|
122.60
|
10.23
|
9.1%
|
|
2003
|
129.60
|
7.00
|
5.7%
|
|
2004
|
139.60
|
10.00
|
7.7%
|
|
2005
|
153.60
|
14.00
|
10.0%
|
|
2006
|
180.00
|
26.40
|
17.2%
|
|
2007
|
200.00
|
20.00
|
11.1%
|
|
2008
|
214.00
|
14.00
|
7.0%
|
|
2009
|
220.50
|
6.50
|
3.0%
|
|
2010
|
212.00
|
(8.50)
|
-3.9%
|
|
2011
|
204.00
|
(8.00)
|
-3.8%
|
|
2012
|
204.00
|
0
|
0
|
|
2013
|
204.00
|
0
|
0
|
|
Changes to Rate of Carer’s Allowance – Over Age 66 - 2002-2013
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rate €
|
Increase €
|
Increase %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2002
|
137.80
|
12.73
|
10.2%
|
|
2003
|
147.80
|
10.00
|
7.3%
|
|
2004
|
157.80
|
10.00
|
6.8%
|
|
2005
|
169.80
|
12.00
|
7.6%
|
|
2006
|
200.00
|
30.20
|
17.8%
|
|
2007
|
218.00
|
18.00
|
9.0%
|
|
2008
|
232.00
|
14.00
|
6.4%
|
|
2009
|
239.00
|
7.00
|
3.0%
|
|
2010
|
239.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
|
2011
|
239.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
|
2012
|
239.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
|
2013
|
239.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
Changes to Carer's Benefit
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rate €
|
Increase €
|
Increase %
|
|
2002
|
132.70
|
10.17
|
8.3%
|
|
2003
|
139.70
|
7.00
|
5.3%
|
|
2004
|
149.70
|
10.00
|
7.2%
|
|
2005
|
163.70
|
14.00
|
9.4%
|
|
2006
|
180.70
|
17.00
|
10.4%
|
|
2007
|
200.70
|
20.00
|
11.1%
|
|
2008
|
214.70
|
14.00
|
7.0%
|
|
2009
|
221.20
|
6.50
|
3.0%
|
|
2010
|
213.00
|
(8.20)
|
-3.7%
|
|
2011
|
205.00
|
(8.00)
|
-3.8%
|
|
2012
|
205.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
|
2013
|
205.00
|
0.00
|
0.0%
|
Expenditure on Carer’s schemes
|
|
Carer's Allowance
|
Carer's Benefit (1)
|
Respite Care Grant (2)
|
Total (5)
|
% Increase (year on year)
|
|
|
€000
|
€000
|
€000
|
€000
|
|
|
2002
|
160,042
|
5,807
|
n/a
|
165,849
|
24.9%
|
|
2003
|
183,273
|
6,943
|
n/a
|
190,216
|
14.7%
|
|
2004
|
210,277
|
7,698
|
n/a
|
217,975
|
14.6%
|
|
2005
|
223,059
|
9,588
|
34,302
|
266,949
|
22.5%
|
|
2006
|
284,584
|
16,688
|
50,458
|
351,730
|
31.8%
|
|
2007(3)
|
361,257
|
26,900
|
73,376
|
461,533
|
31.2%
|
|
2008
|
450,260
|
33,666
|
98,204
|
582,130
|
26.1%
|
|
2009
|
502,469
|
30,204
|
99,200
|
631,873
|
8.5%
|
|
2010
|
501,789
|
26,288
|
128,097
|
656,174
|
3.8%
|
|
2011
|
507,193
|
24,474
|
130,392
|
662,059
|
-0.8%
|
|
2012 (est)
|
509,170
|
24,072
|
135,490
|
668,732
|
1.0%
|
|
2013 (est)
|
534,200
|
24,300
|
110,650
|
669,150
|
0.06%
|
|
% increase 2000-2010
|
Total expenditure on all carers schemes has increased by 570% from 2000 to 2012
|
|
1: Carer's benefit was introduced in 2000
2: Expenditure on respite care grant is included in carer's allowance or carer's benefit expenditure for the years 2000 to 2004 inclusive
3: Half-rate carer's allowance was introduced in September 2007
This table does not, for comparability purposes, include expenditure on domiciliary care allowance which was transferred to the Department during the course of 2009. Expenditure in 2010 was €95.7, 2011 was €99.9 million, 2012 was €102.5 million (est) and estimated expenditure for 2013 is €106.8 million.
|
Recipients of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit 2002 – 2012
|
Year
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
Carer’s Benefit
|
|
2002
|
20,395
|
615
|
|
2003
|
21,316
|
639
|
|
2004
|
23,030
|
679
|
|
2005
|
24,970
|
867
|
|
2006
|
27,474
|
1,647
|
|
2007
|
33,067
|
2,080
|
|
2008
|
43,569
|
2,249
|
|
2009
|
48,223
|
1,917
|
|
2010
|
50,577
|
1,642
|
|
2011
|
51,666
|
1,637
|
Number of Respite Care Grants paid in 2010 and 2011
|
Scheme
|
2010
|
2011
|
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
38,260
|
39,600
|
|
Carer’s Benefit
|
1,720
|
1,200
|
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance
|
25,500
|
26,700
|
|
Standalone RCG
|
6,500
|
5,600
|
|
Total
|
71,980
|
73,100
|
The figures for Carer’s Benefit , Domiciliary Care Allowance and Standalone RCG are approximate.
Note: There were 51,666 people in receipt of carer’s allowance, including half-rate carer’s allowance in 2011. The reason for the lower number of grants for carer’s allowance in the table above is because some people were awarded the grant as part of the domiciliary care allowance prior to being awarded carer’s allowance.
Data in relation to respite care grant is not readily available over a longer period. However, it can be noted that all recipients of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit would automatically have received this payment.
People receiving more than one Respite Care Grant 2011
|
Carer’s Allowance
|
Carer’s Benefit
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance
|
|
· 2,850 in respect of two care recipients
· 91 in respect of three care recipients
· 7 in respect of four care recipients
· 2 in respect of five care recipients
|
· 94 in respect of two care recipients
· 1 in respect of three care recipients
|
· 1,509 in respect of two children
· 124 in respect of three children
· 10 in respect of four children
|
|
Total 3,061
|
Total 96
|
Total 1,787
|
