Respite Care Grant

Information

The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment made to carers by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) in Ireland. Carers can use the grant in whatever way they wish. You can use the grant to pay for respite care if you wish, but it is not necessary to do so.  More information about respite care facilities is available.

In June of each year, the Department of Social Protection pays the grant automatically to carers getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Prescribed Relative's Allowance or Domiciliary Care Allowance from the Department. Only one Repite Care Grant can be paid for each person getting care.

Rules

The grant is paid to those getting one of the payments mentioned above as well as certain other carers providing full-time care. If you are not getting one of the above payments, you must be:

• Aged 16 or over
• Ordinarily resident in the State
• Caring for the person on a full-time basis
• Caring for the person for at least six months - this period must include the first Thursday in June 
• Living with the person being cared for or, if not, be contactable quickly by a direct system of communication (for example, telephone or alarm).

You do not qualify if you are working more than 15 hours per week outside the home, if you are getting an unemployment payment or if you are signing on for unemployment credits. You also do not qualify if you are living in a hospital, convalescent home or similar institution.

If you are caring for more than one person, a grant is paid for each of them.

Rates

A Respite Care Grant of €1,700 (June 2010) is paid once each year, usually in June, for each person you are caring for. It is not taxable.

How to apply

If you are getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Prescribed Relative's Allowance or Domiciliary Care Allowance from the Department of Social Protection, you do not need to apply for the Respite Care Grant. It will be automatically paid to you in June.

If you are getting Domiciliary Care Allowance from the Health Service Executive (HSE), the HSE will automatically pay you the grant. From 2010, all Respite Care Grants will be paid by the Department of Social Protection. 

If you are not getting one of these payments you should fill in an application form for the Respite Care Grant RCG 1 (pdf). If you are caring for more than two people you must fill in an RCG 1(a) Respite Care Grant form for each additional person (pdf) and attach it to your completed RCG 1 form.

If you are not getting one of the above payments and you got the Respite Care Grant last year, you do not need to re-apply in this year using the RCG 1 form.  If you got the grant last year, you will get a letter at the end of April this year from the Respite Care Section in the Department of Social Protection with a short questionnaire on the back.  You must answer the questions on the back and return the letter to the Respite Care Section. A freepost envelope will be included with your letter. After you return the letter, the Department will use this and the information on file to reassess you for the Respite Care Grant.

Where to apply

You can get a Respite Care Grant application form, from your Social Welfare Local Office or Citizens Information Centre.