Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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51. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will abolish means testing for the carer's allowance, increase the respite care grant and replace the mobility allowance that ceased in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18802/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention on a full time basis. The means test for carers allowance has been significantly eased over the years, and is now one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse’s earnings. Since April 2008, the income disregard has been €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. This means that a couple with two children can earn in the region of €35,400 and qualify for the maximum rate of carers allowance as well as the associated free travel and where resident with the recipient of care, household benefits.

Removing the means test would involve changing the nature of the Carer’s Allowance scheme from a targeted income maintenance support for those most in need to a universal care support, in effect a payment for the provision of care rather than an income support payment for people on low incomes. The only eligibility criteria remaining would be that the care recipient required full-time care and that the carer was providing that care on a full time basis. Therefore, it is considered best that the Carer’s Allowance means test should remain to ensure the most effective use of resources.

The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) (formerly known as the respite care grant) is a non-means tested, non-taxable annual payment paid to carers providing full-time care and attention to a care recipient. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that earlier this month, the grant, increased to €1,700 in Budget 2016, issued automatically, to carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative's Allowance. The CSG is also payable, in certain circumstances, to other carers who may still apply through my Department’s stand-alone RCG section. It is expected that in excess of 90,000 grants will be paid in 2016 at an estimated cost of €157.6 million.

Conscious of the reports of the Ombudsman regarding the legal status of both the Mobility Allowance and Motorised Transport Grant Schemes in the context of the Equal Status Acts, the Government decided to close both schemes. In addition the Government decided that the detailed preparatory work required for a new Transport Support Scheme and associated statutory provisions should be progressed by my colleague the Minister for Health.

Monthly payments continue to be made by the Health Service Executive to the 4,700 people who were in receipt of the Mobility Allowance at the time the scheme closed in 2013. Work is ongoing on the policy proposals to be brought to Government for the drafting of primary legislation for a new scheme. The Programme for a Partnership Government acknowledges the ongoing drafting of primary legislation for a new Transport Support Scheme.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.