Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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134. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will advise on her Department's review of means testing for carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33196/23]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress made with the review of means testing of social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32072/23]

Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on the review into means testing for the carers allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32567/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 137, 157, 159 and 168 together.

The system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.

Means tests in my Department are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years including to the Carer's Allowance means test. I have introduced a number of changes to means testing, including providing for higher income disregards. These disregards ensure that, where people are in receipt of a social assistance payment and are working, their income from work, to the level of the income disregard, is not assessed in the means test.

I have committed to a carrying out a broad review of means testing this year which will include consideration of means test provisions. This review is ongoing and I hope to complete it in Quarter 4.

I trust that clarifies matters for the Deputy.