Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
9. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on a State pension solution for long-term family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6036/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWill the Minister please provide an update regarding accessing a State pension for family carers and long-term family carers, as she committed to?
The Government acknowledges the important contribution carers provide and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State pension system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or provide another full-time caring role. PRSI credits, homemaking disregards and home caring periods recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.
Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependants may still face barriers in accessing the State pension. They may, for example, have difficulty establishing the minimum number of ten years' paid contributions.
I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State pension system in September. The measures are in response to the recommendations of the Commission on Pensions and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State pension system. One of the most important reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependants for more than 20 years. It will do this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record and by establishing a register of family carers for this purpose. Department officials are currently working to implement the reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems, as necessary.
I thank the Minister for that update. When this was announced initially and the Minister spoke about it in September, she said she expected the pension for family carers to be in place from January 2024. I appreciate that much work has to go into this. However, could the Minister let us know whether she still intends for that to be the timeline and that she foresees this being in place and ready for next January? The register is a positive move. Even aside from the State pension for family carers, it will be good to have a register. I understand the Minister will work with Family Carers Ireland in that regard, which is welcome.
I have come across a number of cases where that rule of needing to have 520 contributions in the ten years before a person can access the credit has been a difficulty for some carers. As part of the ongoing work the Minister's Department is doing on checking people who are caring for the purposes of the register, can this be looked at in terms of the total contributions approach where evidence had to be provided for people to access credits? Some of that work might be already done.
As part of the State pension reforms, I am committed to providing the pension for long-term carers and hope to have it in place by 2024. As the Deputy knows, we are doing much work to support carers, which is absolutely correct because they really do great work. There is no doubt about that.
My officials are looking at the legislation we need to change. That is being written as we speak. The Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, of which Deputy Kerrane is a member, is also looking at this issue along with auto-enrolment and will be bringing a report to me, which I look forward to reading when it comes to hand.
We have a list of those who received the carer's support grant and a list of those on carer's allowance. However, we need to find the cohort who are receiving neither of those supports. We will work with stakeholders and representative groups to see how we can come up with a register. That is part of the work and it will take a bit of time.
I presume it is the case that even though there is much work to do, which I appreciate, it is envisaged that the January 2024 timeline is still on track. That is really important because for a long time now, family carers who have ceased their caring role and sought their State pension have not been able to access a full State pension. In fairness, they were more than entitled to it after the years of care they provided. This has put family carers in really difficult situations. This is, therefore, a really welcome move. I hope that it will be brought about as quickly as possible.
In terms of total contributions approach, the Department had to look into each case where someone was looking for credits. People had to prove they had children. It was said at the time that the Department would be looking at child benefit and if people were receiving carer's allowance, that would help as well. I presume a similar system will be put in place to show carers who are caring when it comes to them accessing that pension when it is rolled out. Some of that work may be done already and could be expanded into that area.
Deputy Sherlock has indicated.
I thank An Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for letting me in. I have two simple questions. Could that potentially apply to somebody who was caring for somebody for a period and was eligible for carer's allowance, for example, where a person had an intellectual disability in the first instance and second, where a domiciliary care allowance might have applied in the lifetime of a carer?
We will use any of the information we have in the Department on domiciliary care allowance, carer’s support grant or carer's allowance. We are trying to make sure people who have genuinely been caring for more than 20 years get the benefit of this. It is important that they get this pension. They have cared all their lives and find that when they come to pension age, because of their partner's income, they cannot get anything because it is means-tested. We are trying to deal with this. We expect to have the legislation in the second half of this year.
Deputy Sherlock can appreciate that there is a bit of work to be done in trying to make sure we get it right. That is the most important thing. We are working on it as we speak. As I said, I am looking forward to getting those reports from the joint Oireachtas committee. We want to move this on and these are two big changes. State pension reform and auto-enrolment are fundamental changes we are making to the system and a good deal of work is involved. I have many people working on it who have spent much time on it already.
