James Lawless
Question:461. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54555/23]
View answerTuesday, 12 December 2023
Questions (461)
Written answers
The Cost-of-Living Payment announced in Budget 2024 is payable to a person who is a carer under Section 224(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and who on 27 November 2023 is still providing care to a relevant person under Section 224(1) of the Principal Act.
To qualify for the Cost-of-Living Payment, a carer must:
• Have received or be eligible for the Carer’s Support Grant for 2023;
and
• Be providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person on week commencing 27 November 2023 and satisfy the qualifying conditions for receipt of Carer’s Support Grant (see below).
The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions.
The person claiming the Grant must:
• Be aged 16 or over and ordinarily resident in this State;
• Care for the person on a full-time basis;
• Care for the person for a continuous period of at least six months – this period must include the first Thursday in June (1st June 2023);
• Live with the person being looked after, or this person can be contacted quickly by a direct system of communication (i.e., a telephone or alarm);
• Not be employed/self-employed for more than 18.5 hours per week;
• Not be in receipt of, or entitled to receive Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit or be signing for credited contributions.
Additionally, the person being cared for must:
• Be so incapacitated as to need full-time care and attention;
• Not normally live in a hospital, convalescent home, or another similar institution;
• Not receive full-time care and attention within their own home from another person other than the person claiming the Grant.
If a person concerned wishes to be considered for the €400 Cost of Living Payment introduced as part of Budget 2024, they should complete a declaration form which has been posted to them on 5 December 2023.
On receipt of a fully completed declaration form, the entitlement of the person concerned to the Cost-of-Living Payment of €400 will be determined at the earliest possible date.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.