Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The medical assessment process is the same for both payments. There is no difference. The Department does not have to figure our income, rent and so forth which is part of the carer's allowance payment, but a great chunk of the delay is the interaction between our medical assessors and the documentation provided by applicants and their doctors with regard to whether the person fulfils the medical assessment part of the application. Carer's benefit is no different from carer's allowance in that regard.