Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

16. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 940 of 9 September 2024, if she will outline the policy and budgetary context in which the household benefits package for carers who do not live with the person they care for was scrapped in 2012; if she has considered it within the context of Budget 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37645/24]

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

The Household Benefits Package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €294 million this year on the Household Benefits Package for over 529,000 customers.

People over the age of 70 receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

In 2012, new customers who were awarded carer’s allowance effective from 2 April 2012, were no longer entitled to the Household Benefits package, where they did not reside with the person for whom they are caring.

The decision at the time was made to ensure resources were targeted at those most in need and it was considered that a greater need arises for carers who are residing with the person they are caring for. This cohort of carers continued to qualify for the Household Benefits Package.

In addition to Carer's Allowance, carers receive additional support in the form of free travel and the annual Carer's Support Grant in respect of each person for whom they care.

Any decision to extend the qualifying conditions for the Household Benefits package to include those who are in receipt of Carers Allowance and who don’t live with the caree would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.