Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Eligibility

Photo of Paul McAuliffePaul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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855. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has considered extending a stamp to foster carers to allow them to have PRSI benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46558/24]

Photo of Heather HumphreysHeather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government acknowledges the important role that carers play in society and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, once a person has met the minimum requirement of 520 paid contributions, the current contributory State pension system provides for a range of measures to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculations of a payment rate. These measures include PRSI credits, homemaking disregards and homecaring periods.

Foster carers are entitled to the benefits of PRSI credits where they meet the criteria in the same way as biological or adoptive parents. Similarly, they may qualify for homemaker's disregards or homecaring periods on the same basis - there is no difference in treatment.

Foster carers can register for caring periods for each child under the age of 12, provided the foster carer is in receipt of child benefit for the child concerned. If the foster carer is not in receipt of child benefit, they can still qualify provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla.

In the case of a child who is over the age of 12, caring periods can be registered where the child requires continuous supervision and regular assistance, throughout the day, with the activities of daily living, including nursing care. There is a maximum of 20 years’ caring periods available.

Long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the contributory State pension. They may, for example, have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 10 years paid contributions. Recent reforms enhance the State pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years or more. This is being done by attributing the equivalent of a paid contribution to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record. Foster carers who have cared for an incapacitated dependent or dependents for over 20 years will also benefit from this important change.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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