2105. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional supports or secondary benefits allowed to persons on a carer’s allowance, and to persons on a carer’s benefit. [63890/26]

My Department provides a comprehensive range of income supports to eligible family carers including Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer's Support Grant. Expenditure on these supports in 2026 is estimated at over €2.2 billion.

Carer's Allowance is a weekly social welfare payment for people who provide full-time care and attention to someone who needs support due to age, disability, or a physical or mental illness. There are currently over 110,000 carers receiving this payment.

Carer's Benefit is a weekly social welfare payment for insured people who leave work or reduce their working hours to provide full-time care and attention to someone in need of such care. It is based on social insurance contributions. In August, there were 5,150 carers receiving this payment.

People caring for children under 16 with severe disabilities, who require continuous care and attention, substantially more than what is typically required by a child of the same age, may be eligible for the non- means-tested Domiciliary Care Allowance. Eligibility is not based on the disability or diagnosis, but on the impact of the disability in terms of the level of care and attention required by the child. Families who receive Domiciliary Care Allowance may also qualify for Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit provided they meet all other eligibility criteria.

The non-means-tested annual Carer's Support Grant, payable at €2,000, is available for all full-time carers and a grant is paid for each person being cared for. This grant was paid in June, to over 147,000 carers. It is automatically paid to carers receiving Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit.

In addition to the Carer's Support Grant, people receiving Carer's Allowance may be eligible for a range of secondary supports from my Department, such as the Household Benefits Package, Free Travel and Fuel Allowance. Carers receiving either Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit are automatically eligible for a free GP Visit Card from the Health Services Executive.

In line with Government commitments, I will continue to keep the range of financial supports and secondary benefits available to carers under review. Any further improvements will be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.