Carer's Benefit

Information

Carer's Benefit is a payment made to insured persons in Ireland 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.

If you are caring for more than one person, you may receive payment for each care recipient for 104 weeks. This may result in the care periods overlapping or running concurrently.

Respite care

An annual Respite Care Grant is payable on the first Thursday in June of each year. More information about respite care is available.

Credited contributions - "credits"

You will be awarded "credits" automatically for the period you are getting Carer's Benefit. Credits are awarded at the same rate as your last paid contribution. These credits help protect your future entitlement to social welfare benefits and pensions.

Carer's leave

Your right to carer's leave from employment compliments the Carer's Benefit Scheme with regard to leave. Carer's leave allows employees to leave their employment temporarily for a period up to 104 weeks to provide full-time care for people in need of full-time care and attention. The leave will be unpaid but those who propose to avail of carer's leave will have their jobs kept open for them for the duration of the leave. Eligibility for Carer's Benefit will not be a prerequisite for carer's leave.

If you think you have been wrongly refused Carer's Benefit, or you are unhappy about a decision of a Social Welfare Deciding Officer about your entitlements, you can appeal this decision.

Rules

You may be eligible for Carer's Benefit if:

•  You are aged 16 or over and under 66
• You have been in employment for at least 8 weeks in the previous 26 weeks before coming a carer. You must have worked for a minimum of 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight
• You are resident in the State
• You give up work in order to be a full time carer. Being a full time carer means you must be living with or in a position to provide full-time care and attention to a person in need of care who is not living in an institution
• You are not living in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution. However, you may continue to be regarded as providing full-time care and attention, if you or the person being cared for is undergoing medical or other treatment in a hospital or other institution for a period not longer than 13 weeks.
• You meet the PRSI contribution conditions
• The person being cared for is so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention and is not normally living in an institution. Medical certification is required unless, the person being cared for is a child and getting Domiciliary Care Allowance.  The carer of a child on a Domiciliary Care Allowance need not be the person who receives that allowance on the child's behalf.
• You must not be engaged in employment, self-employment, training or education courses outside the home for more than 15 hours a week. Since April 2008, the maximum amount you can earn is €332.50 per week. 

PRSI contribution conditions

You must have at least 156 contributions paid at any time between entry into insurance and the time the claim for Carer's Benefit is made and

• 39 contributions paid in the Relevant Tax Year or
• 39 contributions paid in the 12-month period before the commencement of the Carer's Benefit or
• 26 contributions paid in the Relevant Tax Year and 26 contributions paid in the Relevant Tax Year prior to that.

The contributions do not have to be Class A.  Instead, all employment contributions count (except Class S (self-employed) contributions. The Relevant Tax Year is the second last complete tax year before the year in which you make your claim.  So, for claims made in 2010, the Relevant Tax Year is 2008.

Child dependants

You can claim an increase for a child if they are under age 18, normally lives with you and is maintained by you. Where a child is in full-time education by day at a recognised school or college this increase is payable until the end of the academic year in which the the child reaches age 22. (This child does not have to live at home). Full rate child dependant increase is payable if you are single, widowed or separated. Half the child dependant increase is payable if you are living with your spouse or partner. If your spouse or partner is getting a payment from the Department of Social Protection, you will each get half the child dependant increase.

Tax implications

This is a taxable source of income and should be advised to your local tax office.

Continuing the payment after a death

If the person you are caring for dies, payment of Carer's Benefit will continue for 6 weeks following the death. A Bereavement Grant may also be payable. Read more about Bereavement Grants here.

Rates

Carer's Benefit rates from January 2010:

Carer	Maximum weekly rate
Caring for 1 person	€213
Caring for 2 persons	€319.50
Increase for each qualified child:	€29.80 (full rate), €14.90 (half rate)

 

How to apply

To apply fill in an application form for Carers Benefit (pdf). This form (CARB1) is also available from your local Social Welfare Office or from the Carer's Benefit Section, (see 'Where to apply' below).

Parts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 should be completed by you. Part 3 should be completed, signed and stamped by your employer. Part 9 should be completed by the person(s) receiving care from you and his/her doctor should complete, sign and stamp the Medical Report.

Carers have important legal rights under Irish law. If you think your rights as a carer have been breached, you can make a complaint to the Labour Relations Commission under the Carer's Leave Act, 2001 (pdf).

If you are not getting one of the above payments and you got the Respite Care Grant for last June you do not need to re-apply this year using the RCG 1 form. If you got the grant for 2007 you will soon get a letter from the Respite Care Section with a short questionnaire on the back. You must answer the questions on the back and return the letter to the Respite Care Section in the Department of Social Protection. You will also get a freepost envelope with your letter. When you return the letter, this and the information the Department have on file about your caring situation will be used to reassess you for the Respite Care Grant.

Where to apply

For more information on the Carer's Benefit, contact your local Social Welfare Office or:
Carer's Benefit Section


Information on carer's leave from employment is available from:


Further information on making a complaint to the Labour Relations Commission is available from: