Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the budget measure whereby carer's allowance is now to be considered as assessable means in the calculation of entitlement to family income supplement; if she will take into account that carer's are the only group of social welfare recipients that work 168 hours for their payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1708/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Carers play a particularly important role in society which the Government acknowledges through a range of supports, including carer's allowance, half-rate carer's allowance, carer's benefit, the respite care grant, free travel and household benefits.

The means test for carer's allowance is one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse's earnings. Since April 2008, the income disregard has been €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. A couple with two children can earn up to €35,400 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple earning €59,300 will still qualify for the minimum rate of carer's allowance.

There are currently just over 51,000 full-time carers in receipt of a carer's allowance payment from the Department. This includes almost 22,000 who are receiving half-rate carer's allowance in addition to another social welfare payment. There are just over 1,700 people in receipt of carer's benefit. Customers in receipt of carer's allowance and benefit also receive an annual respite care grant of €1,700 in respect of each person for whom they care. In addition, more than 17,000 carers who are not in receipt of a carer's allowance or benefit payment received the annual respite care grant of €1,700 last June.

One of the measures introduced as part of Budget 2012 is that income from weekly carer's payments will be included for the purposes of calculating entitlement to Family Income Supplement (FIS) in line with other welfare payments, on a phased basis with effect from January 2012. Entitlement to FIS is based on the level of a family's income including net income from employment and the value of any social welfare payments they might have. However, income from carer's allowance and carer's benefit was an exception and was not taken into account in assessing family income for FIS purposes prior to January 2012.

From January 2012, for new applicants and upon renewal for existing claimants, income from carer's allowance and carer's benefit payments will be included in the (FIS) income assessment. The measure will be implemented over 3 years with 1/3rd of the income from carer's allowance and carer's benefit payments assessed in 2012, 2/3rds in 2013 and full assessment in 2014.

This provides for a more consistent approach to the concurrent payment of FIS with other social welfare benefits through the standardisation of the treatment of social welfare income for this purpose. The reform reduces a person's secondary payment (FIS) without affecting their primary payment, therefore targeting available scarce resources at those in most need.