Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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264. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the fuel allowance scheme to persons in receipt of carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44376/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Carers who live with the person they are caring for are eligible for the household benefits package which currently includes the free electricity/gas allowance, the free television licence and the telephone allowance (which will be abolished from 1 January, 2014). They also receive free travel.

This year the Department will spend over €182 million on the free electricity/gas allowance for over 410,000 customers. In addition, some 410,000 customers will also receive the fuel allowance of €20 per week for the winter months (26 weeks) from October to April, at a cost of €223 million. I was very happy to be in a position to preserve the value of the fuel allowance and the electricity/gas allowance in last week's Budget. However, I am not in a position to extend the fuel allowance to carers at this time.

Carers receive significant income supports from my Department, among the highest rates of income support in Europe. A person getting certain qualifying payments and also providing full-time care and attention to another person can keep their main social welfare payment and receive a half-rate carer's allowance as well. The half-rate carer's allowance was protected in Budget 2014.

The respite care grant is available to all full-time carers regardless of their means while the income disregard and means test for carers allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system. A couple under 66 with two children, earning a joint annual income of up to €35,400 can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance while a couple earning €59,300 will still qualify for the minimum rate. Carers are entitled to an extra half-rate carer's allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient.