Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1334.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the carer's allowance payment can be urgently increased, or additional supports provided to recipients, given the invaluable service carers provide to the State. [32486/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.

The main income supports to carers provided by my department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2024 is expected to exceed €1.7 billion.

The Carer’s Allowance scheme is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers in the community. Carer’s Allowance is a financial support to people who cannot earn, or can only earn a limited income, due to their caring responsibilities. It does not purport to be a payment for caring. In 2024 the expenditure on the Carer’s Allowance scheme is estimated to be over €1.1 billion and there are currently 97,127 people receiving this payment.

Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have made a number of changes to the Carer's Allowance payment, in particular the means test.

• In June 2022, the income disregards were increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner. The capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was also increased from €20,000 to €50,000.
• In June 2024, the weekly income disregard was further increased from €350 to €450 for a single person, and from €750 to €900 for carers with a spouse/partner.

These changes mean that carers on a reduced rate move to a higher payment. In addition, many carers who previously did not qualify for a payment due to their means are brought into the Carer's Allowance system for the first time.

I have also made a number of improvements across the suite of payments for carers since my appointment as Minister:

• In 2021, I increased the annual Carer’s Support Grant to €1,850, the highest rate since its introduction. The Carer's Support Grant is automatically paid to people in receipt of Carer's Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care allowance. Other carers not in receipt of a carer’s payment may also be eligible for the Grant. On 6 June, 132,523 carers received the grant in respect of 149,361 care recipients, at an estimated cost of €275 million.
• Weekly carer's payments have increased by €29 over the last three Budgets.
• The monthly Domiciliary Care Allowance payment has increased by €30.50 to its current rate of €340 per month since January 2023.

• €400 for people receiving Carer’s Support Grant paid in November 2023 supporting 120,000 family carers;
• Two cost-of-living double payments; one in December and another in January.

I am committed to supporting our family carers and I will continue to keep the range of supports provided by my department under review. However, any changes, such as further increases to the rates, or the provision of additional supports, would have to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.