Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
389. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will offer advice to a person who has reached the limit of their eligibility for carer’s benefit and does not qualify for carer’s allowance, but cannot return to work as they are still needed to act as a carer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52446/23]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the valuable 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 my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2023 is expected to amount to almost €1.6 billion on these payments.
Carer's Benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks.
The payment is complemented by the Carer's Leave Act 2001, which allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. A person is entitled to take carer’s leave of at least 13 weeks up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
For someone who has exhausted their Carer's leave and benefit, Carer's Allowance may be available to them. The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and provided, and that a means test is satisfied. The application of the means-test not only ensures that the recipient has an income need but also that scarce resources are targeted to those with the greatest need.
At the end of October here were 95,192 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. The projected expenditure on on this payment in 2023 is over €1 billion.
Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers. In this Budget, and the previous one, there have been significant improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance:
• Last June the income disregards were increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
• As part of Budget 2024, the weekly income disregard will be increased from €350 to €450 for a single person, and from €750 to €900 for carers with a spouse/partner.
Since June 2022, this amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €117.50 for a single carer and €235.00 for a carer who is part of couple. These are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system. It is also worth noting that the capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was increased last year from €20,000 to €50,000.
I am satisfied that raising the general weekly income disregard will mean that more carers with modest incomes will be brought into the system. However, the reality is no matter where I draw the line in terms of the means test, there will always be some people who fall on the other side and don’t qualify.
In addition to Carer's Allowance and Carer’s Benefit, my department also provides a number of non means tested payments, these include:-
• Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The Domiciliary Care Allowance rate is €330 per month. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a carer may claim Domiciliary Care Allowance. As part of Budget 2024, the payment will increase to €340. This payment has increased by €30.50 per month under this Government.
• 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. The grant is paid in a single lump sum annually, usually on the first Thursday in June. The grant is not means-tested and is not taxable and is paid in respect of each care recipient. As part of Budget 2024, all Carer's Support Grant recipients will receive a Cost-of-Living lump sum payment of €400.
I am satisfied that there is a comprehensive range of supports available to family carers. Any further reforms to the current payments would have cost implications and could only be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
I trust this clarifies this matter for the Deputy.
