Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 April 2024
42. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times an individual in receipt of carer’s allowance had their allowance stopped, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; and to provide a sample of reasons that carer’s allowance may be withdrawn from carers. [17668/24]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the crucial role that carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role.
Carer's Allowance 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.
A payment for Carer’s Allowance will cease if a customer no longer meets the eligibility criteria for the scheme. This may follow a notification from the customer or be the result of a review of eligibility initiated by my Department. Over the last 10 years - from 2014 to 2023 - an average of 6,367 claims were stopped each year. The following is the detail:
To date in 2024, 2,931 claims for Carer’s Allowance have ceased.
The numbers applicable to all other years are as follows: 8,180 in 2023, 7,717 in 2022, 6,666 in 2021, 6,000 in 2020, 6,367 in 2019, 5,830 in 2018, 6,071 in 2017, 5,716 in 2016, 5,908 in 2015 and 5,216 in 2014.
The five main reasons for a Carer’s Allowance payment being stopped in the last ten years are:
• The person requiring care has been admitted to a Nursing Home / Hospital (32%)
• The carer is no longer providing full time care (32%)
• The carer has returned to work in excess of 18.5 hours per week (15%)
• The carer failed to supply the required information to establish continued entitlement to Carer’s Allowance (8%)
• The carer or the care recipient is deceased (5%)
Other examples of reasons for the cessation of a CA payment are that the means of the carer are in excess of the statutory limit, the carer is no longer resident in the state, the care recipient no longer meets the medical criteria, or where no response is received from the customer.
I hope that answers the Deputy's query.
