Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 548: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will abolish the means test for the carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11235/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 590: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects to further extend the carers allowance to cater for the greater number of persons providing care thereby alleviating the burden on residential services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12453/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 590 together.

Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended.

Carer's allowance, in line with other social assistance schemes, is means-tested. This ensures scarce resources are directed at those in greatest need. The primary objective of the carer's allowance is to provide income support to low income carers. The carer's allowance means test is one of the more flexible tests in terms of the assessment of household incomes. It has been significantly eased over the years, most notably with regard to spouse's earnings.

Increases to the carer's allowance income disregard provided for in Budget 2008 mean that from this Thursday, 3 April, a single person can have an income of €332.50 per week and a couple can have an income of up to €665 per week and still qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The previous levels were €320 and €640 per week respectively. This ensures that a couple can have an income in the region of €37,200 per year and still qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple in receipt of an income of €60,400 will qualify for a minimum payment, as well as the associated free travel, household benefits package and the respite care grant. This increase surpasses the Towards 2016 commitment to ensuring that those on average earnings can qualify for carer's allowance. In addition, in Budget 2008 the maximum rate of carer's allowance was increased to €214 per week for those aged under 66 and to €232 per week for those aged over 66, with effect from January 2008.

Budget 2007 provided for significant structural reforms to introduce new arrangements whereby 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 another payment, depending on their means, the maximum of which will be equivalent to 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. These new arrangements came into effect in September 2007 and to date over 7,000 carers have benefited. In June 2006, the number of hours for which a person can engage in employment, self-employment, education or training and still be considered to be providing full- time care for the purposes of carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant was increased from 10 to 15 hours per week.

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. Since then a grant is paid in respect of each care recipient. A carer who is caring for two or more persons is entitled to a full grant for each of the care recipients. Following Budget 2008, the rate of the grant will increase to €1,700 per year from June 2008.

I will keep the supports for carers available from my Department under review in order to continue to improve the schemes and ensure commitments on income support are delivered.