Marian Harkin
Question:389. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the most recent figure on the total number of carers in receipt of carer's benefit and half-rate carer's allowance. [56426/22]
View answerDáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2022
389. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the most recent figure on the total number of carers in receipt of carer's benefit and half-rate carer's allowance. [56426/22]
View answerCarer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care.
Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention. If a person is getting certain social welfare payments and they are providing full-time care and attention to another person, they can keep your main social welfare payment and get a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well.
At the end of October 2022, there were 3,423 recipients of Carer's Benefit and 42,136 recipients of half-rate Carer's Allowance.