2026-06-18

10. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional people that will benefit from increases in the carers allowance means test threshold due in July 2026; whether he has engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carers allowance income will not be included under the medical card means test so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will not be at risk of losing their medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46277/26]

I very much welcome that a large number of additional people will benefit from increases in the carer's allowance means test threshold, which comes into place on 1 July. Has the Minister engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carer's allowance income will not be included under the medical cards means test, so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will not be at risk of losing their medical card? I ask him to make a statement on the matter. I have heard from a number of people who have decided not to apply until the issue is clarified.

I thank the Deputy for his question. The programme for Government contains a commitment to continue to significantly increase the income disregard for carer's allowance across a series of budgets with a view of phasing out the means test over the lifetime of the Government. Budget 2026 has increased the earnings disregard for carer's allowance to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple. Those changes will be effective from July this year. These are the largest ever increases in the carer's allowance income disregards and are evidence of our determination to deliver on our commitment to carers. Since 2022, the disregard will have increased cumulatively by €667.50 per week for a single person and by €1,335 per week for a couple. This measure will benefit both those current recipients who are on means-reduced rate and who will see an increase in their payment rate and those people making new claim applications who otherwise would have been subject to a means-reduced rate in 2026. On foot of the increases in the carer's allowance income disregards, a single person providing full-timer care, who also does part-time work this year, will be able to earn just over €54,000 and receive a full carer's payment. Similarly, for a couple household, a person who is providing full-time care and where their partner earns approximately €108,000 per annum will receive a full carer's payment. In its recent report, Family Carers Ireland acknowledged the significant progress made in increasing income disregards for carer's allowance. It stated that 68% of households are now falling within the financial eligibility criteria. We are still looking at what the estimated take up will be. For budget purposes, we have prepared estimates on the basis that approximately 3,000 carers nationally will benefit. Given that the scheme is demand led, and it is likely that many who are outside the means test would have not have previously applied for carer's allowance, it is very difficult to estimate the potential inflow from this measure with certainty. We will engage with the Minister for Health around the Deputy's proposal on the means test. It certainly was an issue that was raised with me on 7 May at the carer's forum in relation to supports for carers. Supports for carers, including the medical card and respite, are highlighted in the Family Carers Ireland's state of caring report. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is somebody who is very supportive of our work in this space. We will engage with her.

I very much welcome the Minister's reply. However, where I am coming from is about the people who are marginally outside under the old scheme who now qualify under the new changes that the Minister has made. I very much welcome those changes because people who are providing care in the home for their immediate family or for relatives are providing a fantastic service. What I am concerned about now is where people are pulling back from applying because they are afraid of losing their medical card. That is extremely important to them, especially for anyone who is providing care but also has their own medical challenges and are still well able to provide that care. That is why I am looking for clarification. As the Minister knows, the qualifying criteria for medical cards has not changed for quite some time. That is another issue that needs to be reviewed but that is not under the Minister's Department. Can we get clarification before 1 July on this issue? It is going to affect quite a number of people who will not put in the application at this stage.

To be clear, the medical card means test is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE. It is not a matter for the Department of Social Protection. Our commitment in relation to carers is increasing the income disregard with a view to phasing out the means test for carers between now and 2029 - the lifetime of the Government. There is the carer's support grant and increasing the weekly rates for that income for carers. I assure the Deputy that I will engage with the Minister in relation to the forthcoming increase in the income disregards. I share his concern that those who qualify are not taking it up. This is not just with carers but across a number of schemes. I want to ensure that those who can qualify for this can take it up without fear of losing other benefits. Those who are performing carer duties do exceptional work. We need to make their lives a lot easier and take the complications away. We will definitely engage with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, in relation to this urgently in the context of 1 July. She is very committed and is very supportive of work in relation to the income disregards. She is very committed to the work of family carers.

I very much welcome the reply. The changes that are coming into effect on 1 July are very good. There are a huge number of people who provide a good standard of care in the home rather than people having to go into full-time residential care in nursing homes. They are providing an invaluable service. It is important that we make sure that we tick all the boxes and that they are discouraged from continuing to provide that care because they qualify for the allowance but they are afraid of applying for it as they are afraid of losing their medical card. That is an issue that we need to get clarification on. Again, I thank the Minister for the work that has been done in this area and the number of additional people who are now going to come in under the qualifying criteria, so they can get the carer's allowance in support of the work that they are doing.

I reiterate to the Deputy that we will engage with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. We are looking at all of our schemes to see what is stopping people from applying. At the start of the session this morning, Deputy O'Reilly raised other points in that space. I am open to feedback in relation to that. As we go to a situation where somebody on €108,000 can still access the full carer's payment, we obviously have issues that not everybody is applying for it. I am going to drill down on those issues. We will the carer's organisations, Family Carers Ireland and the carer's allowance to increase awareness of the income disregards being increased in the manner that they are. Many people may not be aware of that income disregard, particularly carers. One point that is consistently made to me, and to all of us, is that carers often do not have the time to look at this kind of information because they are so busy, focused and engaged in their caring role. We have to work with the organisations and family resource centres in every way to get the information about the supports available out to people. I will engage with the Minister for Health on the matter.