Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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148. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his assessment of the impact to date of improvements to the carer's allowance means test. [50673/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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There have been significant improvements made to the Carer’s Allowance means test in recent years. These changes have impacted positively with many more carers availing of the payment and potentially receiving a higher rate of payment.

There are currently almost 102,000 people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, an increase of almost 14% in the last five years alone.

The latest improvement occurred in July when the weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance was increased from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse/partner. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585.00 respectively, or 88%, since June 2022.

The latest increases mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 can now retain their full social welfare payment, and even with an income of €97,000, they can retain a partial means-tested social welfare payment.

Improvements to the Carer's Allowance capital means test have the effect that a couple can now have savings of up to €100,000 and still qualify for a Carer's Allowance payment.

The Programme for Government commits to further increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.

The Programme for Government contains a number of additional commitments to improve the supports available to family carers. These include commitments to continuing to increase the Carer’s Support Grant and to progressively increase weekly carer support payments. In addition, the Government has committed to examining how carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person can be better supported. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government and in light of available resources.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.