Information
Carer's Allowance is a payment to people who are looking after a person who
needs support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness
(including mental illness).
Carer's Allowance can be paid to carers on low incomes who live with and
look after certain people who need full-time care and attention. There are
rules about who is entitled to claim Carer's Allowance and these rules are set
out under 'Rules' below.
You also qualify for free
household benefits and a Free Travel Pass.
Carer's Allowance is not taken into account in the assessment for a medical
card.
If you consider that you have been wrongly refused Carer's Allowance, or you
are unhappy about a decision of a Social Welfare Deciding Officer about your
entitlements, you can appeal this
decision.
Budget 2012
It was announced in Budget 2012 that some changes will be made to Carer's
Allowance.
New applicants for Carer’s Allowance, who are not living with the person
for whom they are providing care, will not be entitled to the Household
Benefits package. The person receiving care may be entitled to the Household
Benefits package in their own right. (April 2012)
Rules
To be entitled to a Carer's Allowance:
- You must be living with, or in a position to provide full-time care and
attention to a person in need of care who does not normally live in an
institution. However, you may continue to be regarded as providing
full-time care and attention, if you or the person being cared for is
undergoing medical or other treatment in a hospital or other institution
for a period not longer than 13 weeks.
- You must be resident in the State.
- You must not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar
institution.
- You must be at least 18 years old and
- You must not be engaged in employment, self-employment, training or
education courses outside the home for more than 15 hours a week. During
your absence, adequate care for the person requiring full-time care and
attention must be arranged.
The person being cared for must be:
- Over the age of 16 and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and
attention or
- Aged under 16 and in receipt of a Domiciliary
Care Allowance.
The person receiving care is regarded as requiring full-time care and
attention where
- He or she is so incapacitated as to require continuous supervision in
order to avoid danger to him or herself or continual supervision and
frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily
functions, and
- He or she is so incapacitated as to be likely to require full-time care
and attention for a period of at least twelve months.
What counts as means?
Your means are any income you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant
have or property (except your home) or an asset that could bring in money or
provide you with an income, for example, an occupational pension or pensions or
benefits from another country. Any payment made by the Department of Social
Protection is not taken into account in the means test for Carer's
Allowance.
Investments and savings
The actual income from investments and money in a savings account is not
taken as your means. Instead, investment items such as, money in a savings
account, cash-in-hand or money in a current account and the cash value of
investments and property are added together and a special formula is used to
work out your weekly means. Find out more about how
capital is assessed in the means test for Carer's Allowance.
How means are assessed
The means test for the Carer's Allowance involves assessing your income
(excluding your home). Since April 2008, the amount of weekly income that is
not taken into account is €332.50.
In the case of the income of a married couple, civil partners or
cohabitants, the first €665 of their combined weekly income is
disregarded.
If you are getting a social welfare payment from another state an amount up
to the maximum rate of the Irish State Pension (Contributory) is exempt from
the means test. Any foreign social welfare payment above the maximum Irish
State Pension (Contributory) rate is treated as income for the means test.
Carer's Allowance and half-rate payments
If you are getting certain social welfare payments and you are providing
full time care and attention to another person, you can keep your main social
welfare payment and get half-rate Carer's Allowance as well. If you were
getting another social welfare payment before claiming Carer's Allowance, you
may get your original payment reinstated and also get half-rate Carer's
Allowance.
If you are getting Carer's Allowance and subsequently become entitled to
another payment, you can claim the other payment and get half your rate of
Carer's Allowance but only if the other payment is a qualifying payment for
half-rate Carer's Allowance. For example, if you are getting Carer's Allowance
and work 15 hours each week, you can build up an entitlement to a contributory
payment. This means, if you are out of work sick you may be entitled to Illness
Benefit. In this case, you may get full-rate Illness Benefit and half-rate
Carer's Allowance, it will depend on your PRSI contributions, level of earnings
and current means.
If you are being claimed for as a qualified adult on your spouse, civil
partner or cohabitant’s social welfare payment and you are providing
full-time care to another person, you may apply for half-rate Carer's Allowance
and retain your current Increase for a Qualified Adult in full.
More information is available in our document on half-rate Carer’s Allowance.
Caring for more than one person
If you are providing care to more than one person you may be entitled to an
additional 50% of the maximum rate of Carer's Allowance each week.
Care sharing
Two carers who are providing care on a part-time basis in an established
pattern can also share a single Carer’s Allowance payment and the annual
Respite Care Grant. Each carer must be providing care from Monday to Sunday but
can do so on alternate weeks. A carer providing full-time care on a part-time
basis is required under legislation to provide this care for a complete week
(Monday to Sunday). Both carers can get the Household Benefits Package.
A carer who is providing care on a part-time basis to someone who attends a
residential institution, for example, every other week, can also be
accommodated on the Carer’s Allowance scheme.
You must meet all the usual qualifying conditions for Carer’s
Allowance.
Respite Care Grant
The Respite Care Grant is automatically paid to people getting Carer's
Allowance in June of each year. You can find out more in our document about the
Respite Care Grant.
Tax implications
This is a taxable
source of income and should be advised to your local tax
office.
Rates
Your payment is made up of a personal rate for yourself and extra amounts
for your child dependants.
Carer's Allowance rates in 2012:
| Carer |
Maximum weekly rate |
| Aged under 66, caring for 1 person |
€204 |
| Aged under 66, caring for 2 or more |
€306 |
| Aged 66 or over and caring for 1 person |
€239 |
| Aged 66 , caring for 2 person |
€358.50 |
| Increase for a Qualified
Child |
€29.80 (full-rate)
€14.90 (half-rate)
|
Carer's Allowance has no qualified adult
payment.
You may claim a full-rate increase in your payment for a child
dependant if you are a carer and are single, widowed, separated or a civil
partner who is not living with the other civil partner. You may claim a
half-rate increase in your payment for a child dependant if you are a carer and
are living with your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant
Credits
You may get credited
social insurance contributions (PRSI).
How to apply
You should apply for a Carer's Allowance as soon possible. To apply fill in
an
application form for Carer's Allowance (CR1) (pdf). You also fill in a CR2 form (pdf) if
you are caring for more than one person. You can also contact your social
welfare local office or Citizens Information service for the form.
Payment will be awarded from the date your application is received or from
the date the qualifying payment is awarded, if later. Forward the completed
application form with the relevant certificates to Carer's Allowance Section at
the Department of Social Protection - see address below.
Where to apply
Department of Social Protection
Carer's Allowance Section
Social Welfare Services Office
Government Buildings
Ballinalee Road
Longford
Ireland
Tel:(043) 334 0000
Locall:1890 92 77 70
Application forms are also available at your local social welfare
office.