Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 July 2021
132. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the thresholds for earnings in relation to qualification for the carer’s allowance can be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35090/21]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the important 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 provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Over 135,000 carers benefit from regular income supports and spending on these payments in 2021 is expected to be in the region of €1.5 billion. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.As of May, there were 89,523 recipients of Carer's Allowance. The estimated expenditure for the payment in 2021 is in the region of €953 million. The means test for Carer’s Allowance is one of the most generous in the social protection system. Currently, €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.By comparison, the income disregard applied to Disability Allowance is €140 per week. For Jobseeker's Allowance, it is €20 per day up to a maximum of €60, and the balance is assessed at 60%. For Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, the weekly income disregard is €165 with 50% of the balance assessed as means.In the case of a couple, a carer may retain a full-rate payment of €219.00 per week while having an annual income of €37,500 from employment, retain a payment of (just under half rate) €109.00 per week while having an annual income from employment of €49,750, and retain the minimum payment of €4 per week while having an annual income of €61,000.In the case of a single carer, a carer may retain a full-rate payment of €219.00 while having an annual income of just under €19,000, retain a payment of €109.00 per week (just under half rate) while having an annual income of €25,400, or retain the minimum payment of €4 per week while having an annual income of €31,100. Changes to schemes are considered in an overall expenditure and policy context and from an evidence-based perspective. It is important to note that based on the Department's own analysis of the Carer's Allowance, some 92% of the current recipients of Carer’s Allowance have no means or means of less than €7.60 per week and would not benefit by an increase in the disregard. Carers who would benefit from an increased disregard would be in higher income households.Any changes to the Carer's Allowance payment as suggested by the Deputy would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
