Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises the crucial role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support.

As part of Budget 2022, improvements were introduced to the income and capital limits for the Carer’s Allowance (CA) means assessment, effective from June 2022.  The weekly income disregard increases to €350 from €332.50 for a single person, and to €750 from €665 for carers with a spouse/partner.  The Carers Allowance disregard when assessing capital increases to €50,000 from €20,000.

These measures bring significant changes to the Carer's means assessment and is the first time there have been changes to the means assessment in almost 14 years.  These changes will mean that more Carers will now qualify for Carer’s Allowance, while those Carers that are currently in receipt of a reduced rate will see increases in their payments.  

To accurately assess CA customers means, it is necessary to obtain up to date income and capital information and to review existing CA entitlement to ensure that the Budget 2022 changes are applied correctly and that people are issued with the correct rate of payment in line with the improvements we are making to the means test.

The Budget 2022 improvements will benefit thousands of Carers currently on a reduced rate due to means and will enable more carers with modest incomes to qualify for Carer’s Allowance

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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68. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of all Budget 2022 social protection rate and threshold increases including whether any have yet to be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14823/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The social welfare package in Budget 2022 was the largest in 14 years and provided for a €5 across the board increase to all weekly payments, as well as a number of other targeted measures intended to focus resources in the most effective way, and to protect the most vulnerable social welfare recipients from poverty. 

As energy prices were increasing, the €5 increase to the Fuel Allowance rate was implemented from October 2021.  At the same time, the income threshold for qualifying for the Fuel Allowance was increased by €20 per week.

The following measures were introduced inJanuary 2022:

- Core social welfare rates were increased by €5 per week, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment;

- The Living Alone Allowance was increased by €3, from €19 to €22 per week;

- The weekly rate of the qualified child increase for children aged 12 and over was increased by €3, from €45 to €48 per week, while the rate for children aged under 12 was increased by €2, from €38 to €40 per week;

- The rate of Wage Subsidy Scheme for people with disabilities was increased by €1 per hour.

- Eligibility for the disregard of PhD scholarship income in the means test was extended torecipients of Blind Pension;

- The period during which Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid for children in hospital will be extended from 3 months to 6 months.

- The remaining measures will be introduced on various dates in 2022:

In April:

- The income threshold by forWorking Family Payment will increase by €10 for all families.  Theimplementation date for this measure was brought forward from June, aspart of the package of measures introduced by Government last month tohelp mitigate the impacts of the increase in the cost of living.

In June:

- Under the Treatment Benefit scheme, a grant of up to €500 towards the cost of wigs/hairpieces/hair replacement systems due to illness will be introduced;

- The number of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions required by younger contributors to qualify for Treatment Benefit will be reduced;

- The list of agri-environmental schemes that attract a disregard under the Farm Assist scheme will be expanded.  The implementation date for this measure has been brought forward from October 2022;

- The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance income thresholds will be equalised for one and two parent households;

- The rate of Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be increased by €10.  This will bring the rate for each child aged 4-11 years to €160 and for each child aged 12 and over to €285;

- The income disregard for Carer's Allowance will be increased from €332.50 to €350 for a singleperson and from €665 to €750 for a couple, while the capital disregard will increase from €20,000 to €50,000;

- The earnings threshold above which means is fully assessed will increase by €25, from €350 to €375 per week, for both the Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.  In addition, the general weekly means disregard will be increased from €2.50 to €7.60 for Disability Allowance.

In July:

- The duration of Parent's Benefit will be extended from 5 weeks to 7 weeks. 

In September:

- Jobseeker's Allowance and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients will be able to access Fuel Allowance after 12 months duration on their payment, instead of the current 15 months.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.