Abolish means test for carers, says Labour candidate

Mullingar Labour Party candidate Fidelma Bennett is calling for government to abolish the means test for carers allowance.

She told her party’s national conference at the Helix that carers are being exploited and if it wasn’t for their efforts, the health system would collapse.

Ms Bennett, who is running in the Mullingar LEA in the local elections, successfully passed a motion at the conference asking for Labour to lobby government to remove the means test.

The maximum rate of payment for carers is €248 weekly in Ireland and they are expected to work no less than 35hrs per week to avail of that payment.

Ms Bennett said she has spoken to local carers, some of whom work 12-hour days, and they feel the money they receive does not reflect the care they provide.

“It could be classed as slave labour – the government have been exploiting carers for far too long,” she said.

“Because this payment is means tested, an estimated 50% of applicants are not getting the full payment, so it’s not unreasonable to estimate government savings in the region of €15 billion per annum.

“Just imagine if carers all decided to down-tools in the morning… an already over-burdened health system would deteriorate into total system collapse.”

Ms Bennett said the issue is also one of gender equality. “A report by Action Aid Ireland and the National Women’s Council found that 98% of carers in Ireland are women,” he said.

“Their work is largely invisible and under-valued. Poverty levels among carers, the majority of whom are women, are higher due to the state’s failure to adequately value and support them.

“Also, the gendered system forces carers to be financially dependent on their partners, if they have them.”

Ms Bennett also said there was for the state to provide emotional support structures for carers, particularly for those dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, due to the stress involved.