Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
314. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the additional payments for people in receipt carer's allowance; the number of people in receipt of additional allowances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52537/26]
View answerCarer’s Allowance is a social welfare payment for people who provide full-time care and attention to a person who requires such care due to age, disability, or illness. Where a person is already receiving certain social welfare payments and meets all the qualifying conditions for Carer’s Allowance, they may retain their primary social welfare payment and receive a half-rate Carer’s Allowance in addition. Details on the numbers of recipients of the half-rate Carer's Allowance, including the breakdown of the other social protection payment, are published in my Department's Annual Statistics Report, available through gov.ie/dsp/statistics.
At end-December 2025, there were 49,234 recipients of Carer’s Allowance who were also in receipt of another social welfare payment; i.e. in receipt of a half-rate Carer’s Allowance. The table below sets out the types of additional social welfare payments received and the number of recipients in receipt of each payment.
|
Primary Social Welfare Payment Scheme |
Number of Recipients on Carer’s Allowance |
|
Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension |
2,331 |
|
State Pension Contributory |
12,025 |
|
State Pension Contributory Increase for a Qualified Adult |
2,555 |
|
State Pension Non Contributory |
4,598 |
|
State Pension Non Contributory Increase for a Qualified Adult |
545 |
|
Bereaved Partner's (Non-Contributory) Pension |
121 |
|
Deserted Wifes Benefit |
188 |
|
Farm Assist |
116 |
|
Farm Assist Increase for a Qualified Adult |
77 |
|
Jobseekers Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult |
1,260 |
|
Jobseekers Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult |
49 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
11,520 |
|
Disability Allowance |
5,777 |
|
Disability Allowance Increase for a Qualified Adult |
3,539 |
|
Illness Benefit |
804 |
|
Illness Benefit Increase for a Qualified Adult |
113 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
2,287 |
|
Invalidity Pension Increase for a Qualified Adult |
1,004 |
|
Other |
325 |
A further 29,160 individuals were in receipt of both Domiciliary Care Allowance and the full rate of Carer’s Allowance at end-December 2025.
