Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people his Department has written to in order to advise them they may be eligible for the half rate carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23493/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2007, provided for new arrangements whereby people in receipt of certain social welfare payments, who are also providing full time care and attention, would, subject to meeting means criteria, be able to retain their main welfare payment and receive another payment. It is estimated that approximately 18,000 carers will benefit from this measure at a cost of some €57 million in a full year.

My Department notified some 57,000 customers regarding the new improvements and their possible entitlement to half rate Carer's Allowance. The breakdown of the customers notified is as follows:

My Department also ran a media advertising campaign on radio and television to raise public awareness of half rate Carer's Allowance. The media campaign commenced on 27th December and ran for 1 week.