Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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399. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if eligibility for carer’s allowance will be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); if any recent changes regarding income qualifying thresholds mean that the applicant would once again be eligible to receive this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41270/24]

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.

CA was in payment to the person concerned for the period 28 May 2020 to 22 June 2022.

Following receipt of your request, a review in respect of the CA claim of the person concerned was initiated and an information request issued to the person concerned on 10 October 2024.

Once the information is received, the review will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

As part of Budget 2025, the weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person and from €900 to €1,250 for Carers with a spouse / partner. These rates are effective from July 2025. For the purposes of this review, the 2024 income qualifying thresholds apply.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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400. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if eligibility for the working family payment can be reassessed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41271/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Working Family Payment (WFP) is an income-tested weekly payment which provides additional financial support to employees on low earnings with children. WFP provides financial support for employees who have low earnings/income relative to their family size. The WFP rate payable is 60% of the difference between the average weekly family income and the relevant prescribed income limit.

In order to qualify for WFP, a family's income must be below a prescribed limit. The income limit is determined by the number of children in a household. All family and household income is assessable for WFP and includes an applicant's and their spouse/partner's average net weekly assessable earnings from employment plus any other income such as other social welfare payments, income from self-employment, etc.

To qualify for Working Family Payment the applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner or cohabitant must be in employment working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight as defined in legislation.

According to our records, the person concerned has not made an application for WFP since June 2023 and is not currently in receipt of WFP.

The easiest and fastest way for a person to make an application for Working Family Payment is online via mywelfare.ie

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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401. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if eligibility for the one parent family payment can be reassessed in the case of a person (details supplied). [41272/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is responsible for the administration and payment of a range of supports to assist an eligible person who is parenting alone including the One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment, described below:

• One-Parent Family Payment is a payment for parents under 66 years who are parenting without the support of a partner and whose youngest child is under 7 years of age.
• Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment is a is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme which a person may qualify for if they do not live with a spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and their youngest child is between 7 and 14 years old.

According to the records of my Department, the person’s Carer’s Allowance application was disallowed in June 2022 as their means were in excess of the statutory limit for the scheme at that time. The main items included in the means test for the Carer’s Allowance are cash income (such as wages), savings, investments, shares, and any property they have, excluding their own home as well as maintenance paid to the applicant but not including child maintenance.

It may be of interest to note that the Carer’s Allowance means test has been eased since 2022. Provision was made in Budget 2025 to further increase the income disregard in July 2025 to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple. More detailed information on the Carer’s Allowance scheme and the qualifying conditions for it is available on www.gov.ie. If the person concerned is providing full-time care for a person or persons who require full-time care and attention and they feel that they may now meet the qualifying conditions for the scheme, they can download an application from or get one at their local Intreo Centre. They should return the completed application and supporting information to Carer's Allowance Section, Government Buildings, Ballinalee Road, Longford, Co. Longford.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.