John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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653. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if carer's allowance or benefit will continue to issue to a person (details supplied); the other financial supports available to the person; if the history of the benefit paid will be provided; and the reason benefit was not continued. [11662/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment while Carer's benefit (CARB) is a social insurance payment made to full-time employees who leave the workforce.

Both payments may be payable to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that they require that level of care, provided that they satisfy the qualifying conditions.

The person concerned was in receipt of CA from 28 June 2007 to 18 October 2017 in respect of her daughter.

However, following a review of her claim in October 2017, her entitlement to CA ceased, as her means were determined to exceed the statutory limit.

The person concerned re-applied for CA on 7 December 2017.

The application for CA was disallowed as her means were determined to still exceed the statutory limit.

The person concerned was notified on 18 April 2018 of this decision the reason for it and her right of review and appeal.

The person concerned applied for CARB on 16/11/2018. This application was disallowed because the person concerned failed to show that she was working a minimum of 16 hours per week in 8 weeks out of the 26 week period before her claim was due to start.

The person concerned was notified on 26 February 2019 of this decision, the reason for it and her right of review and appeal.

No request for a review or appeal was received from the person concerned in relation to CA or CARB.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires on-going care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. It is not means tested. The person concerned is in receipt of DCA in respect of her daughter.

The Carer's Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to carers by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Carers can use the grant in whatever way they wish. In June of each year (usually on the first Thursday of the month), the Department pays the grant automatically to carers getting CA, CARB, or DCA. Only one CSG can be paid for each person getting care.

It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care who do not qualify for CA, CARB or DCA.

The person concerned has qualified for the CSG each year since 2008.

Individuals who are caring and who do not qualify for CA may qualify for the homemaker’s scheme. The homemaker’s scheme is designed to help homemakers and carers qualify for the SPC, and applies to homemaking periods since 6 April 1994. It equally applies to both men and women.

The scheme provides that years spent working in the home while caring on a full-time basis for a child up to 12 years of age or an incapacitated person age 12 or over will be disregarded in calculating a person's yearly average number of contributions for the purposes of determining the rate of their entitlement to SPC.In this way the homemaker’s scheme ensures that an individual’s entitlement to SPC is protected during periods spent caring.

Accordingly I have arranged for a statement of payments to issue to the person concerned in respect to the period she was in receipt of CA.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.