Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 March 2014
98. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason carer's allowance ceased in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry on the basis of incorrect information; the way her Department made such an error; if she will apologise to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11226/14]
View answerCarer’s allowance is a means-tested payment for carers on low incomes who are habitually resident in the State and who look after certain people in need of full time care and attention. Reviews of customer income, capital, investments and other relevant circumstances are undertaken on an ongoing basis. Customers are required to co-operate with such reviews.
The person concerned was awarded half-rate carer’s allowance in addition to their State pension with effect from 1 December 2012.
Ensuring that a customer receives the correct payment in line with their entitlements is an integral part of the day-to-day work of my Department. In 2013 over 5,000 carer’s allowance customers were reviewed. These reviews are undertaken based on a number of criteria including length of time since last review, a change in the circumstances which has come to the attention of the Department and information received from other government departments and agencies. A customer may also request a review to be undertaken when their circumstances have changed and they want to avoid an overpayment occurring. While information from external sources is used to indicate which claims may be targeted for review, action is not taken solely on basis of such information.
The Department is currently undertaking a number of reviews of customers, including carer’s allowance recipients, who may have significant amounts of capital and investments which could affect their means following information received from the Revenue Commissioners. A review of the carer’s allowance entitlement of the person concerned was initiated on this basis in February 2013.
In order to establish the position regarding her means, the Department wrote to the person concerned on 12 February 2013 requesting recent bank statements and details of private pension payments. The person concerned subsequently contacted the Department by telephone on 18 February to explain that there would be a delay in obtaining the statements requested.
However the information requested had not been submitted by September 2013. The carer’s allowance payment of the person concerned was suspended with effect from 11 September 2013 pending receipt of the information requested.
A further request for bank statements was made on 17 October 2013 and the person concerned telephoned the Department on 29 October explaining the she needed more time to obtain the required statements. Her case was subsequently referred to a social welfare inspector on 21 November 2013 for completion of a report on her current means.
The inspector interviewed the person concerned regarding her means on 5 December 2013. Following this interview and following submission by the person concerned of the bank statements required to establish her means, a review of her means was completed. The person concerned demonstrated that her income and capital is below the thresholds allowed and payment of their carer’s allowance was fully re-instated on 10 December 2013 with effect from 12 September and all arrears due for the intervening period were paid.
The Department apologises unreservedly for the upset caused to the person concerned in this case.
