Peter Fitzpatrick
Question:233. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is entitled to a carer's payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45892/23]
View answerThursday, 19 October 2023
Questions (233)
Written answers
Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a 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.
To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions; employment conditions; show that they are providing full-time care and attention; and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.
The claimant must have at least 156 total qualifying contributions in order to be eligible for this scheme payment. They must also have 39 contributions paid in the Relevant Tax Year or 39 contributions paid in the 12-month period before the start of Carer's Benefit or 26 contributions paid in the Relevant Tax Year and 26 contributions paid in the year before that. The Relevant Tax Year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which the claimant makes their claim. So, for claims made in 2023, the Relevant Tax Year is 2021.
Claimants must also have worked at least 16 hours in any 8 weeks in the 26-week period prior to Carer’s Benefit scheme commencement.
Only contributions at Class A, B, C, D, H and E can be counted towards qualifying for Carer's Benefit.
The prescribed time for making a claim to Carer’s Benefit is 8 weeks before and after the first date of entitlement (Article 182 of SI 142 of 2007 as amended refers). A claim later than eight weeks may be accepted at the discretion of the Deciding Officer where s/he considers there was good cause throughout the period of delay, but payment cannot be made in respect of a period more than 6 months prior to the date of claim.
From the information supplied, it appears that the person concerned would not satisfy the PRSI contributions in the Relevant Tax year period or the employment criteria in the previous 26 weeks.
Carer’s Allowance is a means tested scheme with different qualifying conditions and criteria that the person concerned may wish to consider.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.