Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the entitlement to continue to receive a carer's allowance for a period of time after the care recipient enters a nursing home or dies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37351/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a payment made to people who satisfy means and habitual residency conditions and who are providing full-time care and attention to a person or persons who requires such care.

When a care recipient is undergoing medical or other treatment of a temporary nature, in a hospital, convalescent home or an establishment providing residence, maintenance and care for persons with physical or mental disabilities, payment of CA may continue for a period that does not exceed 13 weeks.

However, where the care recipient enters a nursing home on a permanent basis, the CA recipient is no longer providing full-time care and attention and their entitlement to CA ceases.

Where the care recipient dies, CA currently continues to be paid for a period of six weeks immediately following the date of death.

Acknowledging that former carers of working age require an additional period to assess the options open to them in terms of up-skilling and employment opportunities without a perceived threat of loss of payments and secondary benefits, I announced in the Budget an extension of this period to 12 weeks.

The additional 6 weeks, during which carer's allowance will continue to be payable, extends the grace period to 12 weeks to ensure that these carers will have a reasonable period to grieve and reflect before engaging in planning for a return to work or training or claiming an another payment. This change comes into effect from 1 January 2016.