John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1281. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if carer's allowance and domiciliary care allowance will be backdated to cover the period of time the benefits would have been due to a person (details supplied) prior to the application being made. [13498/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or adult who has such a disability that as a result, they require that level of care.

Where CA is applied for in respect of the provision of full-time care and attention to a child aged less than 16 years of age, in addition to all other conditions, it is a statutory condition that domiciliary care allowance (DCA) must be in payment in respect of that child.

In this case, DCA was awarded from 1 September 2017. Accordingly, CA could only be awarded after that date.

On 11 January 2019 CA was awarded to the person concerned with effect from 7 September 2017. The first payment issued on 17 January 2019 and arrears of allowance from 7 September 2017 to 16 January 2019 also issued.

The person concerned was notified on 11 January 2019 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.