Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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391. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if people in receipt of carer's benefit are informed in adequate time before the payment ceases to enable them to submit an application form for carer's allowance to avoid a period of no payment. [6601/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention.

To qualify, the carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.

When a Carer’s Benefit claim is awarded, the award letter states the dates that the claim has been awarded to and from. This letter serves as the notification of the dates that the claim payment starts and ends, and no further notification is issued.

Carer’s Benefit is a short-term scheme payable for up to 104 weeks to a carer, in respect of a care recipient. The Award letter states what is required to extend the claim payment if the claim is awarded for less than the full 104 weeks Carer’s Benefit entitlement in respect of this care recipient.

If the claim is awarded for the full 104 weeks, claimants are advised in the award letter that at the end of this period, their maximum entitlement of 104 weeks for the named career will have been exhausted. It advises that if there is still a requirement for full time care, it is open to the carer to apply for Carer’s Allowance and that Carer’s Allowance claims should be made 3 months prior to Carer’s Benefit expiring. At all stages, the claimant is informed of the right to Review or Appeal the decision.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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392. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision on a fuel allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be re-examined; if a full breakdown of the assessment will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6620/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long-term social welfare payments and persons aged over 70 towards the cost of their winter heating needs. From January 2023, for applicants aged 70 and over, there is a new means test limit of €500 for a single person and €1,000 for a couple; the capital disregard threshold has been increased from €20,000 to €50,000; and those over age 70 no longer need to be in receipt of a qualifying payment to apply for Fuel Allowance. Existing household composition rules continue to apply.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed to direct the limited resources available to my Department in a targeted manner. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including a means test and the household composition criteria. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. Fuel Allowance can only be awarded where all the qualifying conditions are met and cannot be awarded on a discretionary basis to those who are marginally above the applicable means limit.

The person concerned has income from private pensions which puts his weekly income above the €500.00 per week means threshold and, accordingly, he does not qualify for Fuel Allowance. The person was notified in writing that he does not satisfy the means assessment and a full breakdown of the means assessment has issued to the person concerned.

My Department provides Additional Needs Payments, as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, for people who have essential expenses which they cannot pay from their weekly income. Applications and enquiries in relation to these payments can be made by contacting a Community Welfare Officer based in the local Intreo Centre.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.