Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
127. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the payment of a carer's allowance for six weeks, 12 weeks and six months after the person being cared for has entered long-term residential care. [39059/15]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a payment made to people who satisfy means and habitual residency conditions and who are providing full-time care and attention to a person or persons who requires such care.
When a care recipient is undergoing medical or other treatment of a temporary nature, in a hospital, convalescent home or an establishment providing residence, maintenance and care for persons with physical or mental disabilities, payment of CA may continue for a period that does not exceed 13 weeks.
However, where the care recipient enters a nursing home on a permanent basis, the CA recipient is no longer providing full-time care and attention and their entitlement to CA ceases.
Where the care recipient dies, CA currently continues to be paid for a period of six weeks immediately following the date of death.
Acknowledging that former carers of working age require an additional period to assess the options open to them in terms of up-skilling and employment opportunities without a perceived threat of loss of payments and secondary benefits, I announced in the Budget an extension of this period to 12 weeks.
As this is a demand-led scheme, it is not possible to estimate the cost of an extension as outlined in the question.
