Written answers
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Benefits
Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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468. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she intends to review carer's allowance in the context of budget 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24388/23]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments in 2023 is estimated to be almost €1.6 billion.
The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers. It is a means tested social assistance payment awarded to those carers who are caring for certain people who require full-time care and attention. The objective of the payment is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced as a consequence of their caring responsibilities and in so doing to support the ongoing care of the person in respect of whom care is being provided.
The income supports provided, including Carer’s Allowance, are kept under constant review. Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of significant improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers. As part of Budget 2022, I was delighted to announce the first improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance in 14 years.
- The capital and savings disregard for the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with the capital means test for Disability Allowance.
- For carers who are working, I increased the weekly income disregard to €350 for a single person, and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
As part of Budget 2023, I announced further improvements to payments for carers including:
- A €12 increase in the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate.
- A €2 increase for each Qualified Child bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s.
- The Half-rate Carer’s Allowance is now disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance.
- A double payment for carers paid in October 2022.
- A €500 payment for people receiving Carer’s Support Grant paid in November 2022.
- Carers received the Christmas Bonus Double Payment.
Furthermore, the Carer's Support Grant - which I increased to its highest-ever rate of €1,850 - is available to carers who are not on a social welfare payment. I would like to point out to the Deputy that some 141,000 Carer's Support Grants will shortly be paid to approximately 126,000 family carers.
In planning for Budget 2024 and as part of the annual budgetary process, my department usually invites pre-Budget submissions from representative bodies. As well as giving consideration to the submissions received, my department normally hosts an annual Pre-Budget Forum which representative bodies attend. The Pre-Budget Forum is an opportunity for me to meet with groups from the community and voluntary sector, including carer representative groups.
Finally, I have committed to a carrying out a broad review of means testing this year which will include Carer's Allowance means test provisions. Changes to any of the schemes on foot of this review will only be done in the context of ensuring the most effective and targeted use of public funds that are required to provide income support on a broad societal level.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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