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.

The number of CA applications disallowed, awarded on appeal, and awarded on reapplication for 2021, 2022 and to 31 October 2023 are set out in the table below.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) functions independently of this Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. All appeals are referred to the Department in the first instance so that the original decision can be reviewed. It is often the case that new evidence is provided with the appeal request and, as a result, the original decision may be revised by the Deciding officer. It is important to highlight the value of providing all relevant information at the initial application stage as this will increase the likelihood of achieving a positive result earlier in the process. If a review does not result in a favourable outcome, then the file is forwarded to the SWAO without delay.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.