Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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102. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 214 of 15 October 2025, for an approximate breakdown of the 3,000 beneficiaries, between those who are current recipients and will receive an increase to their payment rate, and those who will be new claimants and whose incomes will be in excess of the current maximum disregard level. [57683/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The cost of the Budget 2026 measure is based on information known to the Department, i.e. the current recipients with a reduced rate of Carer's Allowance due to household means. Carer’s Allowance is a demand led scheme and final cost will be dependent on take up by new recipients in the months following the changes which take effect from July 2026.

The Department will closely monitor the inflow into the scheme on foot of these changes to assess the impact of inflow arising from the increased income disregards. There are wider implications of departing from a means tested approach above the cost exposure and for this reason the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets in line with the Programme for Government commitment.