Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider removing the means test for the carer's allowance or raising the thresholds to allow more persons to avail of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50280/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The main income supports to carers provided by my department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer's Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2022 is expected to exceed €1.5 billion.

The means test for Carer’s Allowance not only ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need but that resources are targeted to those with the greatest need.

- As part of Budget 2022, I announced significant improvements to the means test for Carer’s Allowance. The weekly income disregard was increased from €332.50 to €350 a week for single carers and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner. These are the most generous income disregards in the social welfare system and this increase enables more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for the scheme.

- The capital disregard was also increased from €20,000 to €50,000. This allows carers who have accumulated relatively modest savings to retain an entitlement to Carer's Allowance.

These changes, which came into effect in June this year, were the first changes that had been made to the Carer’s Allowance means test in 14 years.

Based on the number of carers identified as part of Census 2016, it is estimated that a universal (non-means tested) carer’s payment could cost up to an additional €1.2 billion per annum.

Any additional changes to the Carer's Allowance means test would have to be considered in an overall policy context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.