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Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced the payment of the Carer’s Support Grant to some 125,000 carers across the country.

The annual grant of €1,850 is in recognition of the key role carers play every single day.

It is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions.

The overall cost of the grant being paid is expected to be in the region of €260 million.

The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for to take account of the additional cost of providing care and to recognise the particular challenges faced by these carers.

Almost 14,000 carers are providing care for two or more people and will receive a grant in respect of each person they are caring for.

The Carer’s Support Grant is paid automatically to all recipients of Carer’s Allowance (whether full rate or half rate), Carer’s Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance. 

It is also available to other full-time carers who are not receiving any of these payments. 

 Announcing the payment of the Carer’s Support Grant, Minister Humphreys said:

“I am very pleased to announce that over 125,000 carers will receive the annual Carer’s Support Grant of €1,850 this week. This will be paid automatically to those who are receiving the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance schemes.

When I became Minister for Social Protection, I increased the Carer’s Support Grant to €1,850. This is part of a suite of measures I introduced in recognition of the vital role of carers and the contribution they make to society.

As part of Budget 2022, I also announced improvements to the weekly income disregard and capital disregard for the first time in many years.

I am also putting in place measures to provide a scheme to ensure that long-term carers are provided with paid contributions for gaps in their social insurance record for the first time in the history of the State.  This will enhance State Pension provision for carers who have spent more than 20 years of their lives caring. This is part of our response to the Government’s Commission on pensions – recognising that our long term carers deserve support in this regard.

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to all carers in Ireland for the vital and valuable contribution you play in supporting those that need help and assistance.

As we work towards the next Budget, our carers will be front and centre of my approach as Minister and my ambition is to support them even further.”

Note

How to Qualify for Carer’s Support Grant

You automatically qualify for the Carer’s Support Grant if you get Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA).

If you are not getting any of these payments, you may still qualify if you meet these conditions if:

• you are 16 or over
• you ordinarily reside in the Irish State
• you care for the person full time
• you have been caring for the person for a continuous period of at least six months, and this period includes the first Thursday in June
• you live with the person you are caring for or you are contactable quickly by a direct system of communication such as a telephone or an alarm

You do not qualify for Carer’s Support Grant if you are:

• working, self-employed, or on a training or education course for more than 18.5 hours a week. (Note: you must show us that the person you are caring for has adequate care while you are working, on an education course, or both)
• getting Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit
• signing on for credited contributions
• living in a hospital, convalescent home or similar institution

If you are caring for more than one person, you will get a grant for each person cared for.

The Carer’s Support Grant is exempt from income tax, PRSI and USC.

County Breakdown of Carer’s Support Grant Recipients: