People could be missing out on a social welfare payment this month worth €1,644.
The Carer’s Allowance offers people who care for elderly people and who meet six different criteria several different rates of payment.
For example, If you are caring for one person aged 66 or over, you could be paid €274 a week, or €411 for two people under this age bracket, RSVP reports.
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Or, if you are caring for one person aged under 66, you could receive €236 a week or €354 for two people within this age bracket.
On top of this, there is an increase for people who have dependent children.
How to qualify for Carer's Allowance?
To be entitled to Carer's Allowance you must:
- Be age 18 or over
- Pass a means test
- Provide full-time care to a person who is not living in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution
- Not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution.
- Not be employed, self-employed, do voluntary work, training or any education courses for more than 18.5 hours a week.
- Be habitually resident in the State
The person you are caring for must be:
- Age 16 or over and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention or
- Under 16 and getting a Domiciliary Care Allowance.
How your income is assessed for Carer’s Allowance?
Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment.
In a means test, the Department of Social Protection examines all your sources of income. To get Carer's Allowance, your weekly income must be below a certain amount.
The main sources of income included in the means test are:
- Cash income
- Capital income, which can include investments, shares or any property you have but not your own home. The first €50,000 of your capital is not taken into account.
- All your sources of assessable income, such as cash and capital, are added together to get your total weekly means.
However, if you are single then €350 of your total weekly income is not taken into account in the means test for Carer’s Allowance.
If you are married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting the first €750 of your combined total weekly income is not taken into account.
For a couple, your means are taken to be half of the total means of yourself and your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.
There is some cash income not included in the means test. For example:
- Any payment from the Department of Social Protection is not included in the means test
- PRSI, union dues, superannuation (pension contributions including additional voluntary contributions) and travel expenses are also deducted (if not being paid a travel allowance by your employer). Any means associated with Benefit in Kind (BIK) are also excluded from the means test for Carer’s Allowance.
- 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 not taken into account. Any foreign social welfare payment above the maximum Irish State Pension (Contributory) is treated as income for the means test.
You can find out more about this payment here.
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