Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 March 2023
160. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection if reckonable social security contributions paid in the United Kingdom qualify a person who is providing full-time care and attention to another person in this state to qualify for carer’s benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11810/23]
View answerCarer's Benefit is a Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) based payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. It is payable for a period of 2 years (104 weeks) for each care recipient and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of 2 years (104 weeks).
Before a decision can be made on entitlement to Carer’s Benefit, evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s care requirement, the level of care the carer provides, the carer’s hours of employment and their PRSI record.
Under the provisions of the legislation, a person claiming Carer's Benefit must have been employed in full-time employment for at least eight weeks, either consecutive or not, in the 26-week period immediately prior to the commencement of the Carer's Benefit claim. Full-time employment in this context is defined as insurable employment for at least 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight.
Only PRSI contributions paid at classes A, B, C, D, E and H are counted towards Carer's Benefit. Contributions paid at class S (self-employed contributions) do not count.
For a first claim the Carer must have:
- 156 PRSI contributions paid since entry into insurance
And either
- 39 reckonable contributions in the relevant tax year (2020 for a claim made in 2022) or
- 39 reckonable contributions paid in the 12-month period before the start of Carer's Benefit or
- 26 reckonable contributions paid in the relevant tax year and 26 contributions paid in the year before that.
Periods of insurance completed in the United Kingdom, EU or another EEA member state may be taken into account to meet the PRSI contribution requirements. However, for Ireland to be the competent state, the most recent contribution must have been paid in Ireland.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
