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.
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)
The person receiving care is regarded as requiring full-time care and attention where
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is a taxable
source of income and should be advised to your local tax
office.
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
You may get credited social insurance contributions (PRSI).
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.
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.