Social Welfare Schemes

Tuesday, 22 October 2024

Questions (532)

Duncan Smith

Question:

532. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of reviews of carer’s allowance carried out in 2023 and 2024 to date; the number of people who had their payment removed in each year due to exceeding the income disregard; the number of additional carer’s allowance recipients who qualified in each year; the total spent on the allowance in 2023 and 2024 to date; the projected out-turn for 2024 and proposed budget for 2025; the number of recipients projected for next year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43101/24]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Carer's Allowance 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.

The total number of reviews of Carer’s Allowance carried out in 2023 was 12,616 and 12,393 have been carried out to date in 2024.

There were 102 Carer's Allowance claims stopped in 2023 due to means exceeding the statutory limit and 97 to date in 2024.

In 2023, there were 17,333 claims awarded for Carer's Allowance and 11,047 awarded to the end of August 2024.

The total expenditure on Carer's Allowance in 2023 was €1.1 billion and to date in 2024 is €865.6 million.

The projected outturn for 2024 is €1.21 billion and proposed budget for 2025 is €1.24 billion.

In 2025, the projected number of Carer's Allowance recipients is 99,883.

I hope this information is useful for the Deputy.