Changes to means testing for Carer's Allowance
The Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary has today (Thursday, July 3) announced a series of improvements to the government’s supports for carers.
Minister Calleary is introducing changes to the means test that applies to carers so that many more can avail of Carer’s Allowance or potentially receive a higher rate of payment.
The weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance is now increased by €175 to €625 per week for single carers, and by €350 to €1,250 per week for a couple.
Since June 2022, Carer’s Allowance income disregards have increased by €292.50 for single carers and €585 for carers in couples, an 88% increase.
The changes announced today mean that 5,280 carers will receive an increase in their Carer’s Allowance payment from today.
The government has said that the increases make the scheme accessible to more carers who may not have previously qualified for Carer’s Allowance due to their means.
As a result of these increases, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full carer's payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment.
The Carer's Allowance is a means tested social assistance payment. The income disregards that apply to the payment are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system, according to the government.
Meanwhile, the Carer’s Benefit income limit will also increase from €450 to €625.
Carer’s Benefit is a social insurance based payment paid to people who leave work or reduce their hours to care for a person in need of full-time care.
Since January 2025, Carer’s Benefit has been extended to self-employed people.
Announcing the introduction of the changes today, Minister Calleary said: “One of the areas that carers have raised with me regularly is the carer’s means test.
"The changes I am announcing today will make the scheme more accessible to people who previously did not qualify.
"The increase in the disregards also mean that 5,280 current recipients will receive a higher payment from today. Consequently, 99% of existing Carer’s Allowance recipients will now get the full rate of their entitlement.
"These means test improvements are in addition to changes made to the Carer’s Support Grant, which was increased to €2,000, its highest ever level, and paid to 138,000 carers in June," the minister added.
The Programme for Government has committed to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the government.
