Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2014
135. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection with regard to the assessment for the half rate of carer's allowance the reason contribution-based payments such as the contributory pension are treated in the same manner as non-contributory payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46962/14]
View answer136. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to set out the reason a person in receipt of the contributory pension who is caring for a spouse, who is not in receipt of a payment from her Department, is not eligible to receive the full rate of carer's allowance, in view of the fact that the combined household means would be the same if the roles were reversed. [46963/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 136 together.
Carers’ allowance is a means tested payment, payable to those providing full-time care and attention to a care recipient where the recipient of care is aged 16 or over and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention or aged under 16 and getting a domiciliary care allowance, while half–rate carers’ allowance is payable to those providing full time care and attention to a care recipient, where the care provider is on a social welfare payment in their own right or where the care provider is a qualified adult on a spouse’s, or partner’s claim.
Means for the purposes of carer's allowance are calculated in accordance with Part III of the Third Schedule to the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 (as amended).
The carer's means include any income the carer or his/her spouse/partner may have e.g. earnings, an occupational pension or pensions or benefits from another country. Assets including property but excluding the family home are also subject to a means assessment.
The application of the means test for carers’ allowance is not dependent on whether the person is in receipt of a contributory or non-contributory social welfare payment as all social welfare payments are exempt from the carers’ means test.
Where the carer receives a social welfare payment from another State, an amount up the maximum rate of the Irish State Pension Contributory is exempt from the means test. Any foreign social welfare payment in excess of the maximum Irish State Pension Contributory is treated as income for the means test.
A person on a contributory pension is precluded from receiving full rate carers’ allowance – it would not be equitable that a person should be in receipt of two full primary weekly social welfare payments simultaneously.
