Cork TD to push for removal of means test to carer’s support

A Cork TD has pledged to push the Government to fulfil its election promise to abolish means testing for the Carers’ Allowance.

During the election campaign, Fianna Fáil leader — and now Taoiseach — Micheál Martin told The Echo he was committed to removing the means test.

“I think we do have the resources now to remove the means test in respect of Carers’ Allowance. It’ll be done over a phased basis over the next number of years, and through the raising of the income disregard threshold,” he said.

Mr Martin added that minimum costings for such a measure came in at around €600m.

The programme for government carries in it a commitment to abolishing the means testing of the allowance within the lifetime of this Government.

According to the Department of Social Protection, some 99,000 people are receiving Carers’ Allowance — the estimated cost of which will be €1.24bn this year.

However, the department has estimated that the abolition of the means test for the allowance could cause a “potential increased inflow”, meaning the cost could extend to €3bn per year.

Last week, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central Séamus McGrath was one of a number of TDs to ask the minister for social protection about progress on abolishing the means test.

Mr McGrath’s question was echoed by Colm Burke, Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central; Peadar Tóibín, Aontú leader and Meath West TD; and Louis O’Hara, Sinn Féin TD for Galway East.

The social protection minister, Dara Calleary, replied that the programme for government had set out a specific timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carers’ Allowance in each budget, with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.

Mr Calleary added that there had been a number of significant changes made to the means test in recent years.

“From July, there will be a further increase which will see the weekly income disregard rise from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner,” Mr Calleary said.

“This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585 respectively since June 2022.”

He added that any further changes as part of Budget 2026 would have to be considered “as part of the overall budgetary and policy context”.

Describing the work of carers as “incredible”, Mr McGrath said he was pleased that the programme for government contained the commitment to phase out the means test over the lifetime of the Government.

“As a TD, I will be pushing for this to happen as early as possible in the lifetime of the Government,” Mr McGrath said.