The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. There are currently 20,600 people in receipt of the allowance at a cost of €160 million last year.
The carer's allowance means test assesses the income of both the carer and his-her spouse or partner. This is consistent with all other social assistance schemes and ensures that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need.
Provision has been made in successive budgets for substantial increases in the means disregards. In April 2003, the weekly income disregards increased to €210 for a single carer and to €420 for a couple. The effect of this increase is that a couple with two children, earning a joint income of up to €24,150, can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance.
The same couple, if they had an income of €39,750, could still qualify for partial carer's allowance, the free schemes and the respite care grant. It is estimated that an additional 1,700 carers now qualify for the allowance and 2,800 existing carers receive an increased payment as a result of this measure. It is estimated that abolition of the means test could cost in the region of €150 million per annum.
In budget 2003, I increased the annual respite care grant by €100 to €735 and to €1470 for carers who are caring for more than one person. This increase has resulted in a trebling of the grant since its introduction in 1999.
All other matters relating to the provision and availability of respite care are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children.