Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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343. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the alternative income available for a person (details supplied) following loss of their one-parent family allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24489/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 7 February 2017.

It is a condition for receipt of CA that the carer must provide full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care. Social welfare legislation defines a person as requiring full time care and attention where the person has such a disability that s/he requires

a) continual supervision and frequent assistance in connection with normal bodily functions, or

b) continual supervision in order to avoid danger to himself/herself.

The exact amount of hours or days for which care must be provided is not defined. However, one of the tests to decide if full-time care and attention is being provided is whether the care given addresses the above issues.

My Department takes the view that full-time care and attention does not necessarily mean 24 hours in each day. Full-time care and attention can be considered to apply where there is an ongoing and daily commitment by the carer and which also generally results in the carer not being able to support him/herself through normal full-time employment.

The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the grounds that she was not providing full-time care and attention as required. The person concerned was notified on 2 May 2017 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. To date, no request for a review or appeal has been received from the person concerned.

I note that although the one-parent family payment (OFP) has ceased to be paid to the person concerned due to her youngest child reaching the OFP age threshold, she is now in receipt of a jobseeker’s allowance transitional payment from her local Intreo office.

If she does return to employment of at least 38 hours per fortnight, she may have an entitlement to the back-to-work family dividend as well as family income supplement. The person concerned should make an appointment with the case officer in her local Intreo centre to discuss her entitlements, should she return to employment.

The care recipient may have an entitlement to a Home Care Package. A Home Care Package is a set of services provided by the HSE to help an older person to be cared for in their own home. The services, for example additional home help hours, nursing services, therapy services, might be needed due to illness, disability or after a stay in hospital or following rehabilitation in a nursing home. A Home Care Package includes extra services and supports that are over and above the normal community services that the HSE provides directly or through a HSE funded service.

To apply a person must fill in a Home Care Package application form and send it to the Home Care Package Manager at their local health office. I have arranged for an application form to be sent to the person concerned.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.