Written answers

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Department of Social Protection

Expenditure on Carers

Photo of Joanna TuffyJoanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on any changes in the payments made to carer's in the years 2002 and to date, including in Budget 2013, in tabular form; the numbers that qualified for the various payments in each of the years concerned; the overall budget for carer's supports from her Department in each of those years in tabular form; the data that is available to her Department that enables a comparison to be made to financial supports to carer's in other EU countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1067/13]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The estimated expenditure on carers in 2012 is over €771 million: €509 million on carer’s allowance, €24 million on carer’s benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 million on domiciliary care allowance. This represents an increase of almost €20 million on expenditure in 2011. Carer’s also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million.

The principal source of data for other jurisdictions is MISSOC, the 'Mutual Information System on Social Protection / Social Security'. The system includes information on Social Protection in all 27 Member States of the European Union, the three countries of the European economic area - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - as well as Switzerland.

The tables below provide the information requested by the Deputy:

Changes to Rate of Respite Care Grant - 2002-2013
Year
Rate of Grant€
% change over previous year
2002
635
25
2003
735
15.7
2004
835
13.6
2005
1,000
19.8
2006
1,200
20
2007
1,500
25
2008
1,700
13.3
2009
1,700
0
2010
1,700
0
2011
1,700
0
2012
1,700
0
2013
1,375
-19
Changes to Rate of Carer’s Allowance – Under Age 66 – 2002 -2013
Rate €
Increase €
Increase %
2002
122.60
10.23
9.1%
2003
129.60
7.00
5.7%
2004
139.60
10.00
7.7%
2005
153.60
14.00
10.0%
2006
180.00
26.40
17.2%
2007
200.00
20.00
11.1%
2008
214.00
14.00
7.0%
2009
220.50
6.50
3.0%
2010
212.00
(8.50)
-3.9%
2011
204.00
(8.00)
-3.8%
2012
204.00
0
0
2013
204.00
0
0
Changes to Rate of Carer’s Allowance – Over Age 66 - 2002-2013
Rate €
Increase €
Increase %
2002
137.80
12.73
10.2%
2003
147.80
10.00
7.3%
2004
157.80
10.00
6.8%
2005
169.80
12.00
7.6%
2006
200.00
30.20
17.8%
2007
218.00
18.00
9.0%
2008
232.00
14.00
6.4%
2009
239.00
7.00
3.0%
2010
239.00
0.00
0.0%
2011
239.00
0.00
0.0%
2012
239.00
0.00
0.0%
2013
239.00
0.00
0.0%

Changes to Carer's Benefit

Rate €
Increase €
Increase %
2002
132.70
10.17
8.3%
2003
139.70
7.00
5.3%
2004
149.70
10.00
7.2%
2005
163.70
14.00
9.4%
2006
180.70
17.00
10.4%
2007
200.70
20.00
11.1%
2008
214.70
14.00
7.0%
2009
221.20
6.50
3.0%
2010
213.00
(8.20)
-3.7%
2011
205.00
(8.00)
-3.8%
2012
205.00
0.00
0.0%
2013
205.00
0.00
0.0%

Expenditure on Carer’s schemes

Carer's Allowance Carer's Benefit (1) Respite Care Grant (2) Total (5)% Increase (year on year)
€000€000€000€000
2002160,0425,807n/a165,84924.9%
2003183,2736,943n/a190,21614.7%
2004210,2777,698n/a217,97514.6%
2005223,0599,58834,302266,94922.5%
2006284,58416,68850,458351,73031.8%
2007(3) 361,25726,90073,376461,53331.2%
2008450,26033,66698,204582,13026.1%
2009502,46930,20499,200631,8738.5%
2010501,78926,288128,097656,1743.8%
2011 507,193 24,474130,392662,059 -0.8%
2012 (est)509,17024,072135,490668,7321.0%
2013 (est)534,20024,300110,650669,1500.06%
% increase 2000-2010Total expenditure on all carers schemes has increased by 570% from 2000 to 2012
1: Carer's benefit was introduced in 2000
2: Expenditure on respite care grant is included in carer's allowance or carer's benefit expenditure for the years 2000 to 2004 inclusive
3: Half-rate carer's allowance was introduced in September 2007
This table does not, for comparability purposes, include expenditure on domiciliary care allowance which was transferred to the Department during the course of 2009. Expenditure in 2010 was €95.7, 2011 was €99.9 million, 2012 was €102.5 million (est) and estimated expenditure for 2013 is €106.8 million.

Recipients of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit 2002 – 2012

Year
Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Benefit
2002
20,395
615
2003
21,316
639
2004
23,030
679
2005
24,970
867
2006
27,474
1,647
2007
33,067
2,080
2008
43,569
2,249
2009
48,223
1,917
2010
50,577
1,642
2011
51,666
1,637

Number of Respite Care Grants paid in 2010 and 2011

Scheme20102011
Carer’s Allowance38,26039,600
Carer’s Benefit1,7201,200
Domiciliary Care Allowance25,50026,700
Standalone RCG6,5005,600
Total71,98073,100

The figures for Carer’s Benefit , Domiciliary Care Allowance and Standalone RCG are approximate.

Note: There were 51,666 people in receipt of carer’s allowance, including half-rate carer’s allowance in 2011. The reason for the lower number of grants for carer’s allowance in the table above is because some people were awarded the grant as part of the domiciliary care allowance prior to being awarded carer’s allowance.

Data in relation to respite care grant is not readily available over a longer period. However, it can be noted that all recipients of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit would automatically have received this payment.

People receiving more than one Respite Care Grant 2011

Carer’s AllowanceCarer’s BenefitDomiciliary Care Allowance
·2,850 in respect of two care recipients

·91 in respect of three care recipients

·7 in respect of four care recipients

·2 in respect of five care recipients
·94 in respect of two care recipients

·1 in respect of three care recipients
·1,509 in respect of two children

·124 in respect of three children

·10 in respect of four children
Total 3,061Total 96Total 1,787

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