Results 1-20 of 20 for carers segment:4123198

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

There was a new initiative two years ago which is very popular. This is carer's benefit and carer's leave, which has given people an opportunity to leave work and not lose out if one takes over as a carer for a particular period. These are tremendous changes and improvements in the carer's allowance scheme. This year I was in a position to increase the income disregard. The programme for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Margaret Cox: ...Minister has increased the disregard on this occasion so that a single person can have a disregard of €210 per week and a couple can have a joint income disregard of €420. This means that 4,500 carers will benefit, it will increase the allowance currently received by 2,800 carers and will ensure that an additional 1,700 carers will qualify for a payment. That is in addition to the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Tied to this is the important issue of carers. I said in the other House that we should reflect on where society is going. In my opinion the State should not take over the role of the family. However, it is the role of the State to give recognition and support to carers. Very often money is not necessarily what is needed in regard to caring; other supports are equally necessary. The money was...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

I appreciate there is a divergence of views as to whether removing the means test is the correct thing to do. We do not know how many carers there are. There is a view that some people can well afford to pay and they should not participate in a scheme to support those who cannot manage or cope. This is a debate which must take place. In the context of the means test, and based on the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Social welfare officers are looking at the quality and type of care available. The relaxation in the conditions whereby the carer had to live in the same house as the person being cared for is a welcome development. Now carers can live just down the road and provide very good care. Carers are concerned about the amount of time they can get off. That issue has been addressed by various Governments.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Paddy Burke: ...of it for a day out get great enjoyment from it. The scheme could be broadened and companies and businesses should be encouraged to support it financially. I also support those who spoke about the carer's allowance. This scheme provides a great service to the country and keeps thousands of people out of hospitals. We could not speak highly enough of the carers who provide such a tremendous...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

I have been championing the case of carers in the Dáil for many years and now in the Seanad. Like many other public representatives I would welcome the abolition of the means test for carers and we are moving towards it. I note from the budget that the disregard is €210 for a single person and €420 for a married couple. Given the increase it is well worthwhile for people to apply for...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...homes, it is a recognition of the contribution that people are making and a token that allows people to take a weekend away, or to put the person being cared for into a respite home so that the carer can take a couple of days off. That makes a significant difference even if it happens just once a year and I commend the Minister for increasing the grant by €100 to €735 per annum. People...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

..., physical and emotional pressure. While I welcome the advances to which Senator Cox referred, we will never achieve the full potential of that scheme until we abolish the means test for the carer's allowance. Such a measure would have financial implications, but the country can afford to tell these people that the service they are providing is invaluable. The people they are looking after...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...an increase of €7 in the personal rates of those payments. This will bring the standard personal rates of invalidity and widow's pensions to €130.30 for a pensioner under age 65 and the rate of carer's allowance for a carer aged under 66 to €129.60 per week.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...have also been improved and extended. The eligibility criteria for these schemes have been improved, thus increasing the numbers availing of them. We are all conscious of the importance of the carer's allowance scheme which has been mentioned by most speakers. This scheme has enabled thousands of people to be cared for at home, who would otherwise have to be hospitalised or cared for in...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

In our debate two weeks before the budget, there were calls from all sides of the House to increase the carer's allowance and to give that to everybody and not to—

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...for widows and widowers under 66 years of age; the €6 increase for people in receipt of other payments; the €100 increase in respite care grants; and the increase in income disregard for the carer's allowance. All weekly increases are effective from January 2003 and that is to be welcomed.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Margaret Cox: .... It is a €7 increase. There is a €6 per week increase for people on other payments, a €100 per year increase in the respite care grant and an increase in income disregards for those on carer's allowance. The package can be commended to the House. I am sorry it is not more but I accept that choices had to be made. In the future, we will see a return to the type of provision provided...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...of the budget replied, "I did not feel its benefits. As you know, it hit the poorest hardest." Perhaps in this festive season the Minister would consider the abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance and give something to the poor and those who care for the sick and elderly. It is a time of giving and perhaps the Minister will be generous.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...in the January following the budget. Family income supplement customers will receive their increases in full from the beginning of January. Customers on short-term weekly payments, such as carers benefit and supplementary welfare allowance, will receive their increases in full from the first pay day in January and customers on long-term weekly payments, such as old age pensioners, widows...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Some 235,000 people, mainly widows, widowers, one-parent families, invalidity pensioners and persons receiving carer's allowance, will receive a lump sum arrears payment for six weeks of the budget increases in mid February. This will be included in their new order books effective from that date. For example, a widow on a contributory pension over 66 years of age will receive a backdated...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Michael McCarthy: ...areas have benefited and which have not benefited to the extent that was hoped. Social welfare is no exception in this regard and I intend to speak out on behalf of widows and widowers, pensioners, carers and those misfortunate enough to be unemployed. I hope that the context in which I speak will not be interpreted as being pinko, lefty or any other Charlie McCreevy type term for those...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

...talk about the cost to the Department of Health and Children and health boards of supporting nursing homes and whether it would be best to consider home subvention in the context of increasing the carer's allowance under the health board initiatives. The reality is that in the future there will be a greater onus on the State because of the changing society, the change in families and the...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (18 Dec 2002)

Cyprian Brady: ...to continuing this work, particularly in terms of the Bill before us, by consolidating the improvements for pensioners, children, those in employment, the unemployed, widows, widowers and carers and those for whom they care. When addressing the House on the Estimates, the Minister for Finance said money alone was not the answer in terms of delivering top quality public services and that,...