Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58, 90, 95 and 109 together.

Carer's benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. It is payable for a maximum of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. The average duration of a carer's benefit claim is 76 weeks. I do not consider it necessary to extend the duration of the benefit for longer than 104 weeks at this point.

Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for carers, including significant improvements to the means test for carer's allowance. There have been improvements in the latest budget and the previous one. Last June, the income disregards were increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse or partner. As part of budget 2024, the weekly income disregard will be increased from €350 to €450 for a single person and from €750 to €900 for carers with a spouse or partner. That will kick in next year. Since June 2022, this amounts to cumulative increases in the disregards of €117.50 for a single carer and €235 for a carer who is part of a couple. These are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system. In addition, the capital and savings disregard for the carer's allowance means test was increased last year from €20,000 to €50,000. I am satisfied that raising the general weekly income disregard will mean more carers with modest incomes are brought into the system.

However, the reality is that no matter where I draw the line with the means test, there will always be some people who fall on the other side and do not qualify. Removing the means test for carer's allowance in its entirety would create a new universal social protection scheme for those meeting the scheme's basic caring condition. Carer's allowance does not purport to be a payment for care and I do not intend to deviate from the underpinning principle of the allowance being an income support payment. I propose, though, to establish, with the Department of Health, an interdepartmental working group to examine and review the entire system of means tests for carers' payment.

The weekly rates for carer's allowance and carer's benefit have increased by €29 over the past three years. During my tenure, the rate of the carer's support grant has increased to €1,850, which is its highest ever level. In September 2022, I announced the introduction of State pension provision for long-term carers by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to cover gaps in their contribution record. I hope to bring that into effect from 1 January next year. These long-term carer's contributions will be available to those who provided full-time care to incapacitated dependants for 20 years or more. I expect to bring the necessary legislation before the Oireachtas soon, with the scheme to be fully implemented from January 2024. Last month, my Department launched an online system for people to register for long-term carer's contributions to facilitate the early processing of claims upon enactment of the legislation. I hope to be in a position to get the legislation through and the system up and running from the beginning of January. I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising the matter.

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