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Carer's Allowance Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 April 2019

Thursday, 4 April 2019

Questions (28)

Bobby Aylward

Question:

28. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the possibility of increasing the financial thresholds for carer’s allowance will be investigated; if the introduction of discretionary assessments in cases of extreme extenuating circumstances, similar to the discretionary system utilised in the medical card application process, will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15644/19]

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Written answers

Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means tested payment, made to people who are providing full-time care and attention to elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits.  The principal conditions for receipt of the allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided and that the means test which applies is satisfied.

The conditions attached to payment of CA are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally.  This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency - be that illness/disability, unemployment or caring. 

At the end of December 2018, there were 79,914 people in receipt of CA.  The projected expenditure on CA in 2019 is almost €840 million. 

Decisions on claims are made by deciding officers of the Department in line with current legislative provisions. 

The means test for Carer's Allowance is one of the most generous in the social protection system in that €332.50 of gross weekly income is disregarded in the calculation of means for a single person; the equivalent for someone who is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting is €665 of combined gross weekly income.  A married couple with 2 children could have weekly earnings of €734 net of PRSI, superannuation and union subscription costs and still qualify for the full rate of Carer's Allowance.  This is equivalent to over €38,000 per annum.

Any changes to scheme criteria would have to be considered in an overall Budgetary context. 

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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