The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.
The main income supports to carers provided by this Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. The projected expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2021 is €953 million. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2021 is expected to be approximately €1.5 billion.
Carer's Allowance is a social welfare assistance scheme which is means-tested and provides a payment for carers who, on a full-time basis, look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention and where the carer's income falls below certain limits. The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full-time care and attention is required and being provided, and that the means test which applies is satisfied.
The primary objective of Carer’s Allowance is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is significantly constrained as a consequence of their caring responsibilities and, in doing so, to protect the interests of the person in respect of whom care is being provided by ensuring that payment of the allowance is contingent on the provision of the necessary hours of care. However, in order to support a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and broader social inclusion, carers may engage in some limited employment, education or training, while still being regarded as being in a position to provide full-time care. The maximum period in which a person may engage in in employment, education and training is 18.5 hours per week and during this time, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.
In responding to COVID-19, my Department made special provisions for those who may be most vulnerable and negatively affected at this time and have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. As the Deputy is aware, the Department introduced the following short-term emergency payment- the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). A carer whose work ceases as a result of COVID-19 and whose situation qualifies them for the PUP will get the payment along with their current carer income support, whether Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.
.Jobseeker’s Allowance is not payable with Carer’s Allowance as in order to qualify for Jobseeker’s Allowance a person must be unemployed and looking for work. The conditions attached to the Jobseeker’s Allowance payment are fundamentally incongruent with the nature of the Carer’s Allowance payment.
With regard to other supports available for carers it should be noted that the annual Carer’s Support Grant is available to all family carers providing full-time care and assistance, regardless of means. This is not available for any other group nor is there an equivalent payment for carers in any other country in Europe. The Grant is paid automatically to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention are also eligible and can apply for a ‘standalone’ grant. As part of Budget 2021, I increased the Grant from its previous rate of €1,700 to €1,850 – the highest ever rate at which it has been paid since it was first introduced. At the start of June the Grant was paid to some117,000 carers. The estimated expenditure on the Carer’s Support Grant this year is over €265 million.
I will continue to keep the range of income supports provided to family carers by this Department under review and will ensure that consultations with carer’s representative groups continue so that the overall objectives of the carer income support schemes provided are met. However, any changes to the current supports provided by this Department would have implications for overall spending and could only be addressed in an overall budgetary context.
