Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals he has to abolish the means test for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21858/06]

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the proposals he has to suspend the rule that a person cannot be in receipt of two social welfare payments in the case of those in receipt of carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21859/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 265 and 266 together.

The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit.

In line with other social assistance schemes, a means test is applied to the carer's allowance so as to ensure that limited resources are directed to those in greatest need. This means test has been eased significantly over the years, most notably with the introduction of the disregards of spouses' earnings. Following Budget 2006, since April, a couple with two children can earn up to €32, 925 per annum and still receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The same couple will be able to earn up to €54, 400 and receive the minimum rate of carer's allowance as well as free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant.

Complete abolition of the means test for carer's allowance would cost an estimated €140 million in a full year. The view of some support organisations is that if this level of resources were available, it would be more beneficial to carers if it were invested in further increases to carers allowance and in the type of community care services which would support them in their caring role, such as additional respite care facilities, more home helps, public health nurses and other such services.

In Budget 2006, I provided for a significant increase in the rate of carer's allowance. From January this year, the rate of carer's allowance increased to €200 per week for carers aged 66 years and over.

In addition, from June 2005, the annual respite care grant was extended to all carers who are providing full time care to a person who needs such care regardless of their income. Those persons in receipt of other social welfare payments, excluding unemployment assistance and benefit, are entitled to this payment subject to meeting the full time care condition. This arrangement was introduced to acknowledge the needs of carers especially in relation to respite. Provision was made in Budget 2006 to increase the amount of the respite care grant from €1,000 to €1,200 from this month.

The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one weekly social welfare payment is payable to an individual. This ensures that resources are not used to make two income support payments to any one person. Persons qualifying for two social welfare payments always receive the higher payment to which they are entitled.

According to Census 2002 there are over 48,000 people providing personal care for over 4 hours per day. Over 26,600 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. It is likely that a proportion of the balance is in receipt of another social welfare payment. Such a person who is providing full time care and attention to a person who requires such care may be eligible for carer's allowance which in some cases may be paid at a higher rate than their current payment. I would strongly urge any person in this position to make enquiries with my Department.

I am always prepared to consider changes to existing arrangements where these are for the benefit of recipients and financially sustainable within the resources available to me. Those recommendations involving additional expenditure can only be considered in a budgetary context.