I wish to acknowledge the crucial role that Carers play in Irish society and I am fully committed to supporting all Carers in that role.
The primary objective of the Carer’s Allowance (CA) is to provide an income support to Carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced because of their caring responsibilities.
CA is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
For entitlement to exist, these conditions must be satisfied on an ongoing basis. This results in the need for periodic reviewing of claims to ensure that only those who continue to satisfy the conditions receive the payment. Additionally, a person can, at any stage, request a review of their entitlement.
The time taken to conduct a review is dependent on the type of review being carried out and the information available at the time of the request. Some reviews require more detailed investigation and interaction with the customer and this can lengthen the timeframe of the review.
However, at all times, every effort is made to conduct and complete reviews as quickly as possible to avoid causing any undue stress to the customer.
If there is a specific case which the Deputy would like examined, please send on the relevant details and my officials will assist as best they can.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
