Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 March 2006

Wednesday, 8 March 2006

Ceisteanna (148, 149)

David Stanton

Ceist:

145 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of claims for the carer’s allowance received in each of the past three years; the percentage in each case of persons who transferred to the carer’s allowance from other social welfare payment; the approximate proportion for each year of such cases that transferred from carer’s benefit, an unemployment payment, sickness benefit or other social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9700/06]

David Stanton

Ceist:

146 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of claimants for carer’s allowance who receive 100% of their potential entitlement and the percentage receiving less than 50%, less than 75% and less than 90% of their potential entitlement at present; the equivalent figures for 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9701/06]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Mr. Brennan)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.

Support of carers has been a priority of Government since 1997. Payments to carers have been greatly improved over that period and qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care payment have been introduced. The further development of support for carers continues to be a priority for me and for Government. There are now 25,318 persons in receipt of carer's allowance, end of February 2006. The number of persons in receipt of carer's allowance has increased by almost 4,000 since December 2003.

The information requested by the Deputy has been prepared in tabular format as follows:

1. Total number awarded and numbers transferring from other Social Welfare Payment

	2003	2004	2005
Total claims awarded	3,984	4,739	5,066
From Invalidity	1	5	10
From Disability Benefit	49	62	100
From Disability Allowance	55	56	57
From Unemployment Assistance	70	399	502
From Unemployment Benefit	107	162	179
From Widows Pension	15	21	28
From Retirement Pension	1	9	8
From Old Age Pension	25	41	82
From Carers Benefit	77	119	173
From One Parent Family Payment	94	201	233
From Qualified Adult on SW payment	523	625	780
From Supplementary Welfare Allowance	183	217	295
Other	9	10	21
Total transfers from SW payment	1,209	1,927	2,468
Transfers as % of all awards	30%	41%	49%

2. Total number in receipt of Carer's Allowance in 2003 and 2006

	2003	%	2006	%
Total in receipt of carer’s allowance	21,326		25,318
In receipt of maximum rate of carer’s allowance	19,099	89.50	22,904	90.50
In receipt of less than 90% of maximum rate	2,227	10.40	1,726	6.80
In receipt of less than 75% of maximum rate	1,180	5.50	999	3.90
In receipt of less than 50% of maximum rate	578	2.7	374	1.50