Paul Murphy demands abolition of carers' means test now

During the general election, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promised to abolish the means test for the carers' allowance. The programme for Government contains a commitment to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government. Minister, can you please tell us in which budget the means test will be abolished? I thank Deputy Murphy. Sorry, I had you down for it as Deputy O'Gorman. Deputy Murphy, thank you for your question. The carers' allowance is the main scheme by which my department provides income support to carers. There are currently 99,256 people in receipt of carers' allowance. Expandage in 2025 is estimated over €1.24 billion. In conjunction and in common with other social welfare payments, the primary objective of the carers' allowance payment is to provide an income to support to people experiencing a contingency that significantly limits their ability to earn an income through employment. Carers' allowance is means tested under current social welfare legislation. Within the social welfare system, means tests are used as a means of targeting income transfers to those most in need in a progressive and equitable manner. However, it is also important that income limits used in means tests are calibrated to reflect the ability of recipients to earn income from other sources and in doing so reduce their dependence on a welfare payment. In this respect, the income disregard for carers' allowance is already the most generous in the social welfare system and is being further improved. This July coming, the weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or a partner. Which will mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full carers' payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment. As the Deputy said, the Programme for Government does commit to continue this process to significantly increase the income disregard for carers' allowance in each budget of the Government's lifetime, with an aim to ultimately phase out the means test during the lifetime of this Government. I will work with my colleague Minister of Public Expenditure to give effect to this commitment over a number of budgets. And I would also point out that there are other supports for carers provided by the Department that are not based on a means assessment, including the carers' support grant, carers' benefit and the domiciliary care allowance. Thanks, Minister. It was interesting, you used slightly different language in your answer than what is contained in the written replies to PQs. In written replies you state the Programme for Government has set out a timeline which commits to significantly further increasing the income disregards. You left out, quite understandably, the point about having a timeline, because presumably you know that the Programme for Government does not contain such a timeline. All it has is a general commitment with a view to phasing out the means test. I presume you are not in a position to give me a timeline. I would make the point that while the increase in the income disregard is of course welcome, it is not sufficient. A means test is not something that can be gradually abolished. Either you have a means test and all of the pressure that goes on people with that, or you do not. I would make the point that it is not only about the income, it is about the means test being this kind of demeaning process that people go through. You need to fill out this big form alongside the medical report to justify the work that you are doing, which is saving the State in total about €20 billion a year. I thank the Deputy, and I meant to clarify to Deputy O'Reilly earlier, we are actually also conducting a review of the means test process across all the process side of it, across all schemes within the Department. Means tests are important, but it is how the process is implemented, and I certainly look forward to people's views on that. What I have said, Deputy, is that we will have engagements to the Minister of Public Expenditure in relation to this issue. He is very much aware of the commitment in the Programme for Government. I think if you look at the changes that have been made in recent years to the income disregard, they show a direction of travel that we intend to continue. And within the Programme for Government, the commitment is there. It is based on me having the resources to do that, and I am determined to fight for those resources on an annual basis during the time of this Government. I do worry that this is one of those promises made during the General Election, then watered down in the Programme for Government, which will end up going by the wayside. We have seen in the last number of weeks a number of commitments made by the Government, abandoned under the guise of the Trump tariffs, saying now is not the time for extending. So I worry that that is where we are going to end up. I do not know, you may or may not have the figures in front of you, but of the almost 100,000 carers, I would wager that a significant majority of those are women. There is no getting away from the fundamentally gendered role under our current society, the gendered nature of this work that is done, and that is linked to the undervaluing of this work by the State. The refusal to provide a clear timeline with dates to abolish the means test is fundamentally a sexist policy of the Government, which places women in a position of continued dependency on their male partners. Economic independence is vital for gender equality, especially at a time when finding affordable housing is actually the main impediment to women leaving abusive relationships. So it is another reason that we should be abolishing the means test. I think you have to look at the commitment, Deputy, in light of the improvements that have been made over recent years, and improvements that are determined to continue. Notally, out of the context of your mastermarks point out, the long-term carers contribution scheme, which was introduced in January 2024, and under that scheme a person who is being a full-time carer, and yes, you are right, it is predominantly women, for an incapacitated to pay them for at least 20 years, and now get long-term carers contributions. That will cover gaps in the contribution record and helps qualify for a contributory State pension. As part of Budget 25, as I said, the carers support grant was increased by €150 to €2,000. That is the highest rate that this grant has ever been. As we have also reflected, the carers' allowance weekly income disregard will go in July from €450 to €625, and €900 to €1,250. Since June 2022, there is a commutative increase of €292.50 for a single care, €585 for a care who is part of the couple. We have increased the capital disregard from June 2022, so a carer with a spouse or partner can now have capital of up to €100,000. So the trajectory of the commitment in the programme for government is one that is backed up by changes over the last number of years, and those kind of changes and level of commitment to carers will continue. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.