Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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131. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive a decision for their carer's allowance application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58466/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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 an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 31 May 2022. Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 8 June 2022, 7 July 2022 and on 3 August 2022.

A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses for a maximum of 18.5 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.

It was decided that this condition has not been satisfied in this case. Although the person concerned is providing a certain amount of care, the level provided is not considered to be full-time.

The person concerned was notified on 6 September 2022 of this decision, the reasons for it and of their right of review and appeal.

The person concerned requested an appeal of this decision by email which was forward to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) for their necessary action.

The SWAO has advised that they have been in contact with the person concerned by phone on 21 November 2022 in relation to their appeal.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.