Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 December 2018
633. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason means reviews for carer's allowance are taking over six months to be completed in view of the fact it is causing financial hardship for carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53211/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
In order to qualify, applicants must show that they are habitually resident in the State, that their means are less than the statutory limit; that they are providing full-time care and attention; and that the person being cared for requires full-time care and attention.
Once a CA claim is in payment, a person can at any stage request a review of their claim where they consider there is a change in their circumstances, including a change to their means, which could affect their rate of entitlement.
The time taken to conduct a review is dependent on the type of review being carried out and the information available at the time of the request. In some cases, it may be necessary to refer a claim to a social welfare inspector for an investigation of means or provision of care, and this can lead to some reviews taking a longer time to complete than others.
At all times every effort is made to complete the reviews as quickly as possible.
Anyone experiencing financial difficulties while awaiting a decision on or a review of any social welfare payment can contact their local Intreo Centre and enquire as to their entitlement to a payment under the Department's Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
