Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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439. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person who is in receipt of a carer's payment for more than one dependent care recipient will receive the €500 carer's grant announced in Budget 2023 for each of the care dependents. [48421/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The €500 Cost of Living payment referred to by the Deputy is not a grant but a once-off payment to those carers who are eligible for the Carer’s Support Grant. Unlike the Carer’s Support Grant which is paid in respect of each person being cared for, the new once off payment announced is a single lump sum paid to the carer, irrespective of the number of persons being cared for, in response to the current cost of living crisis. This payment will be made in November.

It is worth noting that in circumstances where the caree is in receipt of a long-term disability payment of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension or Invalidity Pension they too will receive the €500 Cost of Living Sum Payment in November. 

The €500 Cost of Living payment is part of a range of measures put in place for carers as part of Budget 2023.  Other measures announced include:

- Cost of Living Double Payment to Carers in October

- Carers will also receive the Christmas Bonus Double Payment in early December

- €12 increase in the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit with effect from January 2023 with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate

- €2 increase for each Qualified Child, bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s from January 2023

- Half-rate Carer’s Allowance will be disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance with effect from January 2023

The Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the range of income supports provided to family carers by this Department under review and will ensure that consultations with carer representative groups continue so that the overall objectives of the carer income support schemes provided are met.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.