Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

156. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39411/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Carer's allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to people who have a disability such that they require that level of care and who satisfy a means test.

The means test includes any income belonging to the carer and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, property, (except their own home) or any asset that could bring in money or provide them with an income, for example occupational pensions, or social security pensions or benefits from another country.

The person concerned has a UK social security pension.

When a carer is getting a social security payment from another State, an amount up to the maximum rate of the Irish State contributory pension is exempt from the means test. Any income in excess of that is treated as income. For a single person, a disregard of €332.50 per week is then applied while a disregard of €665 per week applies to a couple.

The person concerned is in receipt of CA at a reduced rate of payment and a review of their entitlement is currently underway to ensure that the correct payment is being made. To this end, information was requested from the person in question on 5 October 2015. Once the review is complete, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.