Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 October 2023
147. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will commit to increasing the carer’s allowance income disregard from €750 to €1,000 for couples and from €350 to €500 for single carers, with subsequent increases in the following years. [42872/23]
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 key role of my department is to provide income supports where an income need may arise due to unemployment, illness/disability and caring responsibilities. The payments provided are an income support to people who cannot earn, or can only earn a limited income, and who have no other means or resources to rely upon.Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of significant improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers.
The income and capital disregards for Carer's Allowance were last increased in Budget 2022. These were the first changes to the means test in 14 years:
• The capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with the capital means test for Disability Allowance.
• For carers who work, the weekly income disregard was increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
The current Carer's Allowance disregards are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system and mean that, in the case of a couple, earnings of up to €41,500 a year are disregarded.
It must be noted that any increase to the disregards would result in people who may have higher sources of income benefitting while reducing the scope for the Department to provide income supports to lower income households. Carers whose sole income is the Carer’s Allowance would not benefit from increases to the disregards.
In addition to Carer's Allowance, my department also provides a non-means tested payment to those carers who have to leave the workforce or reduce their hours in the form of Carer’s Benefit. For those providing ongoing care and attention for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, Domiciliary Care Allowance is available and is also not means-tested. Furthermore, the annual Carer's Support Grant - which I increased to its highest-ever rate of €1,850 - is also available to carers who are not on a social welfare payment.
Notwithstanding the increased level of support already in place for carers, I have asked my department to keep these measures under review as part of the annual budgetary process.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
