Seanad debates

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

Adjournment Matters

Carer's Allowance Eligibility

8:00 pm

Photo of Mary MoranMary Moran (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for dealing with this Adjournment matter and hope he will relay the points I make to the Minister for Social Protection.

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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She is very busy at the moment.

Photo of Mary MoranMary Moran (Labour)
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She is, indeed.

I have received representations from single parents of children with disabilities who have been unsuccessful in their applications for carer's allowance. Caring for a child who is classified as having a severe or profound disability is a 24/7 job but caring for a child with a high level of care needs becomes significantly more difficult if one is a single parent. Single mothers and fathers caring for their children still have to pay their mortgages or rent and their utility bills, as well as providing clothing, food and the other essentials that every family needs. A parent of a child with a disability who does not qualify for a medical card or has had a medical card removed must also pay for trips to the doctor, special orthotic shoes, additional therapies, accessible transport and minders or carers to look after the child while he or she is at work. These parents must also cope with the same stresses as other parents and carers.

I am aware that single parents can avail of certain payments aside from the carer's allowance to assist them but we need to do a better job in terms of payments to parents and families generally. I ask that the Minister for Social Protection give consideration to the fact that the situation of a single parent carer of a child with a disability is completely different to that of a couple. I received a representation recently from a single mother with a disabled child in the severe-profound category who has been refused carer's allowance on a number of occasions and has appealed that refusal. She feels that she is being victimised for going out to work while also trying to care for her son. If she had a partner in her house then her bills, mortgage payments and so forth would be shared. As it stands, she must pay all of the bills, including her mortgage, herself as well as meeting the additional costs of caring for her disabled son. I ask the Minister to recognise the fact that single parents incur additional costs in caring for disabled children and consider whether this could be taken into account in the context of applications for carer's allowance.

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I ask that Senator Moran provide the details of the particular case to which she referred and I will forward them to the Minister.

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, who conveys her apologies to Senator Moran for being unable to reply in person to the matter raised.

I should say at the outset that the Government acknowledges the crucial role carers play in society and I welcome the opportunity to outline to the Seanad the range of supports available to carers from the Department of Social Protection. The national carers' strategy signals the Government's commitment to recognising and respecting carers as key care partners and to responding to their needs across a number of policy areas. By setting out a vision to work towards and an ambitious set of national goals and objectives to guide policy development and service delivery, the strategy seeks to ensure that carers feel valued and supported to manage their caring responsibilities with confidence and are empowered to have a life of their own outside of caring.

Acknowledgement of the key role played by carers is reflected in the range of significant supports provided by the Department of Social Protection to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring. Indeed the income supports that carers receive from the Department are among the highest rates in Europe. Carer's allowance is the principal means-based income support payment for people who are providing full-time care and attention for certain older people or people with a disability. However, there are people who fall outside the net and these must be dealt with.

Photo of Mary MoranMary Moran (Labour)
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There are exceptions.

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Yes, there are exceptions everywhere. Senator Moran has just mentioned an exceptional case and I would be very happy to pass on the details of same to the Minister. The challenge for the Government is to deal with exceptional cases effectively and I am sure the Minister will examine the case referred to.

Persons who are in receipt of this allowance also receive the annual respite care grant of €1,375, the household benefits package and the free travel pass.

Where a child under the age of 16 requires full-time care and attention, a domiciliary care allowance of €309.50 per month may be paid to the parent or guardian. This payment is not means-tested and is to provide for the additional costs involved in providing care and supervision that is substantially more than that normally needed by a child of the same age. The parents may also be in receipt of the carer's allowance. People in receipt of a social welfare payment, other than carer's allowance or benefit, who are also providing someone with full-time care and attention, can retain their main welfare payment and receive a half rate carer's allowance. Similarly, people currently in receipt of a carer's allowance who may have an underlying eligibility for another social welfare payment, can transfer to that other payment and continue to receive up to a half rate carer's allowance.

The estimated expenditure on carers in the Department of Social Protection in 2014 will be almost €806 million, made up of €557.2 million on the carer's allowance, €21.5 million on carer's benefit, €122 million on the respite care grant and €105.1 million on the domiciliary care allowance.

The Department is guided by the strategic direction of the national carers' strategy and is committed to the goals and specific objectives identified in the strategy. The strategy recognises that the financial resources available to the Government during the lifetime of the strategy will reduce and that this will mean focusing expenditure on those who need it most and who will benefit most from services and supports. In framing budgetary adjustments, the primary concern has been to protect primary social welfare rates, and against that backdrop, I was pleased that in the 2014 budget, the core rates of payments available to carers were maintained, as were payments made in addition to other social welfare payments, such as the half-rate carer's allowance.

I mentioned exceptions and the derogations. There is a very complicated mechanism for payments, with entitlements and eligibility and switching from one payment to another one. Getting all the information together, visiting the social welfare office and going through how best a person can avail of the payments can be very worthwhile.

8:10 pm

Photo of Mary MoranMary Moran (Labour)
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I agree with the Minister of State, but perhaps this is an area at which we need to look, where people might just fall outside the net for carer's benefit. Additional recognition should be given in applications for carer's allowance to single parents of children with a disability. In this particular case, there is no incentive to go out to work. I am afraid people who are just outside the net will say that if they do not work, they can stay at home and get the carer's allowance and maybe more benefits. We want to encourage people to go out to work or to stay at work, but they need that little bit of assistance.

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Senator has raised a very valid point about getting people back to work. It is very good for people to get out of the home and go to work. Incentivising them to do so is a very valid point and it would enhance the quality of life of both the parent and the child. That anomaly exists. If the Senator sends me the file, I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Burton, because we all want to get people back to work, especially single parents. If a single parent is at a disadvantage in this situation, a special derogation should be given. It should be considered if it is for the health and well-being of the parent and the child. I am delighted the Senator has raised this point, of which I am fully supportive.

The Seanad adjourned at 7.05 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 May 2014.