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

The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are the carer’s allowance, the carer’s benefit, the domiciliary care allowance and the carer’s support grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to more than €1.7 billion this year.

Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of improvements in the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers. These have included an increase of €150 to the annual carer’s support grant, bringing it to €1,850, the highest level since its introduction. The weekly rates of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit have increased by €29 over the last three budgets.

Specifically with regard to carer’s allowance, I am the first Minister since 2007 to make changes to the means test. In June 2022, 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 further increased from €350 to €450 for a single person and from €750 to €900 for carers with a spouse or partner. Notwithstanding these substantial improvements made to the payments under my remit, as part of budget 2024, I announced my intention to establish an interdepartmental working group with the Department of Health to examine and review the system of means tests for carers payments. My officials are engaging with their counterparts in the Department of Health to progress this issue and I expect the group to report back to me later this year.

The work of the group will be informed by a broader review of means testing currently underway in my Department, which is targeted for completion by Q1 of 2024, with a report to be published shortly afterwards. The work of the interdepartmental group will also be considered within the context of review of the national carers strategy, led by the Department of Health.

I trust that this clarifies the matter.

See this speech in context