Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 December 2023
252. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position in respect of restoration of a carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54417/23]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person concerned must be providing full-time care and attention and it is a further condition that the person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.
I confirm that my Department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 27 August 2020.
Once claims are in payment, my Department undertakes periodic reviews to ensure that there is continued entitlement to payment. This includes reviews to ensure that the person being cared for continues to satisfy the care requirement.
A review of this CA claim commenced on 21 June 2023 when a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) called to the home of the person concerned to conduct an interview in relation to their continuing eligibility. The SWI submitted their report stating that the person concerned and the care recipient were out of the State. A letter issued to the person concerned on the same day advising that their CA claim would be suspended from 29 June 2023 as the information available to the Department was that they were out of the State and had failed to inform the Department. An overpayment was raised in respect of this period.
The CA claim was reinstated from 27 July 2023 after the Department was notified by the SWI that the person concerned and care recipient had returned to the State.
The SWI subsequently conducted a further review of the CA claim. The person concerned was asked to provide bank statements for previously undeclared accounts and also to explain various large transactions on statements that were provided for other accounts. On 27 September 2023, a letter issued to the person concerned advising them that their payment would be suspended from 5 October 2023 as they had not provided the requested information.
The person concerned wrote to the Department on 12 October 2023 stating that they wished to appeal the decision to suspend CA and would not be able to provide the requested bank statement as it was a payment platform and not an account. They did not provide explanations for the various large transactions. A reply issued on 13 October 2023 acknowledging receipt of their letter and requesting the outstanding information. A further letter was received on 7 November 2023 explaining the person concerned no longer has access to one account and the other outstanding account belonged to a relative. An explanation for the large transactions was still not provided.
Consequently, a letter issued to the person concerned on 13 November 2023 advising that their CA had been terminated from 5 October 2023 as they had failed to provide the documents that had been requested on 13 October 2023 and as such failed to show that their means do not exceed the statutory limit for receipt of CA. This letter offered the right to seek an appeal and/or review of this decision.
As the outstanding information has not been provided by the person concerned, CA remains terminated as means cannot be determined.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
