Home Instead: entitlements for home carers part 2
If you are in one of the following situations you may qualify for Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance:
â Already getting Carer’s Allowance but also meet the
qualifying criteria for another social welfare payment
â Changed from another social welfare payment to get
Carer’s Allowance
â Caring for someone and being claimed for by a spouse,
civil partner or cohabitant
â Getting a social welfare payment other than Carer’s
Allowance and caring for someone.
If you satisfy the conditions for Carer’s Allowance it will
be awarded at 50 per cent of the rate that would apply if you
were not getting any other payment. You will also be eligible
for the Carer’s Support Grant, Household Benefits
Package (if you are living with the person for whom you are
providing care) and a Free Travel Pass.
Carer’s Benefit
Carer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured people
who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of
full-time care and attention. You can get Carer’s Benefit
for a total period of 104 weeks for each person being cared
for. This may be claimed as a single continuous period or in
any number of separate periods up to a total of 104 weeks.
However, if you claim Carer’s Benefit for less than six
consecutive weeks in any given period you must wait for a
further six weeks before you can claim Carer’s Benefit to
care for the same person again.
Maximum Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance in 2016
LoCall 1890 92 77 70 for more information
Caring for
one person 102 121.00
Caring for
two or more 153 181.50
Allowances and Entitlements
Carer’s Support Grant
The Carers Support Grant is an annual payment
made to carers by the Department of Social
Protection. Carers can use the grant in whatever
way they wish. You can use the grant to pay for
respite care if you wish, but you do not have to do
so. Only one Carers Support Grant can be paid for
each person getting care. It is not taxable. It was
announced in Budget 2016 that the Grant will
increase to