Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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94. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will address the serious deficiency in the carer's allowance means test, whereby the amount of money being paid out by families on mortgage repayments are not given any consideration when the means are being assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38910/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of nearly €776 million in 2013 on income supports for carers. There were almost 58,000 recipients of carer's allowance and carer's benefit, and just over 25,200 people in receipt of domiciliary care allowance, at the end of July 2013.

Carer's Allowance recipients also receive additional support in the form of free travel and household benefits (for those who live with the person for whom they are caring) and the annual respite care grant in respect of each person they are caring for.

In addition, if a person is getting certain qualifying payments from the Department and also providing full time care and attention to another person, they can keep their main social welfare payment and get a half-rate carer's allowance as well.

Carer's allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme. For means test purposes, account is taken of the income and assets of both the claimant and his or her spouse/partner. The means test for carers allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system. For the purpose of means testing the first €332.50 of weekly means (including earnings) is disregarded (€665 where the carer is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting).

Mortgage repayments are not taken into account for means assessment purposes for carer's allowance or any other weekly social assistance scheme, such as jobseeker's allowance, and there are no plans to change these arrangements.

However, a person who is claiming carer's allowance may also apply for mortgage interest supplement. Mortgage interest supplement is a scheme to assist with the interest portion of the mortgage for persons who have engaged with an alternative payment arrangement with their lender for at least 12 months.