Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
75. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Dublin who will benefit from the changes to the means test criteria announced in Budget 2026; his plans for further changes in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14952/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government contains the commitment to abolish the means test for carers allowance over the life of the Government.
Budget 2026 will increase the earnings disregard for Carer’s Allowance by €375 to €1,000 per week for a single person and by €750 to €2,000 per week for a couple from July this year. These are the largest ever increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards and are evidence of my Department's determination to deliver on its Programme for Government commitment.
With effect from July, this disregard will have increased cumulatively by €667.50 per week since 2022 for a single person and by €1,335 per week since 2022 for a couple.
This Budget 2026 measure will benefit both those current recipients who are on a means-reduced rate and who may see an increase in their payment rate, and those people making new claim applications otherwise subject to a means reduced rate in 2026.
On foot of the increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards, a single person who provides full time care but also does some part-time work will this year be able to earn just over €54,000 and receive a full carer's payment. Similarly for a couple household, a person who is providing full-time care and where their partner might earn approximately €108,000 per annum will receive a full carer's payment.
There are wider implications of departing from a means-tested approach above the cost exposure and, for this reason, the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets in line with the Programme for Government commitment.
Given that the scheme is demand led and that it is likely that many people who would be outside the means threshold have not previously applied for Carer's Allowance, it is difficult to estimate potential inflow from this measure.
However, as with other schemes, the number of payments to be made under the scheme is not Budget-capped and the Department will closely monitor the inflow into the scheme to assess any change in trends. Data on take-up will be published in the Department's quarterly statistical releases.
While it is estimated that approximately 3,000 carers nationally will benefit from the measure, the scheme is demand-led and take-up will depend on individual circumstances. As such, a precise forward looking county-by-county level estimate, including for Dublin, is not available.
