Written answers
Tuesday, 1 April 2025
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Social Welfare Schemes
Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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521. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to clarify the welfare entitlements available to a family providing full-time care for their child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15680/25]
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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.
I can confirm that full rate CA has been in payment to the person concerned since 12 January 2017.
As part of Budget 2025, CA has become a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance with effect from January 2025. Qualification is subject to meeting all criteria of the Fuel Allowance scheme including satisfying the Fuel Allowance means test. The person concerned can apply for Fuel Allowance by completing an NFS1 application form. This has been forwarded by post to their address, along with a return envelope for their convenience. The completed application should be returned to: Fuel Allowance, Carer's Allowance Section, Ballinalee Road, Longford, Co Longford, N39 E4E0.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme is a means-tested, once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year. Applications for the 2025 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will open in June this year. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance section can be contacted by phoning 0818-111113 or 071-9193318, or by emailing BSCFA@welfare.ie.
Additional supports available to Carers awarded CA include:
- The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG), an annual single payment of €2,000 for each care recipient, paid automatically to those entitled to CA on the first Thursday in June.
- A free travel pass for the person receiving CA.
All schemes, including CA, are subject to periodic control reviews and continuing eligibility checks to ensure that recipients continue to satisfy the conditions for the scheme. In this particular case, a review was initiated on 15 November 2024.
A further information request pertaining to the review issued to the person concerned on 11 March 2025. To date, the person concerned has not furnished the requested documents. These documents should be returned as soon as possible.
Upon receipt of the information requested and following the necessary investigations in relation to all aspects of the review, the person concerned will be notified directly in writing of the outcome.
At all times, repeated requests for information are minimised and every effort is made to conduct and complete reviews as quickly as possible to avoid causing any undue stress to people.
I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.
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