'Government needs to abolish the carers allowance means test,' warns TD in Tipperary

A TD in Tipperary has urged the government to immediately abolish the means test for those applying for carers allowance. 

In a sitting of the Dail yesterday, Independent TD for Tipperary South Seamus Healy made the comments during a discussion on the second stage of the Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Bill 2025.  

"During the general election, all parties committed to abolishing the means test for carers. That is not in this Bill, nor was it in the budget. The acid test of the bona fides of this Government on carers and caring is the immediate abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance," began Deputy Healy.

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"That should be done now and included as an amendment to this Bill. This has been a demand of Family Carers Ireland for years and was promised by all parties in the run-up to the last general election. It was understood the means test would be abolished in the first 100 days of the Government or, at the very least, in the most recent budget, but neither happened.

"Carers play a vital role as front-line healthcare workers supporting older people, people with disabilities and those with high care needs in their own homes.

"They provide 19 million hours of unpaid care each week, saving the State almost €20 billion a year. The abolition of the means test should be done immediately. Family Carers Ireland stated: Despite being described as the backbone of Ireland’s health and social care system, family carers continue to shoulder the consequences of underinvestment in home care supports, outdated policies, eligibility criteria that no longer reflect the realities of modern-day caring ..."

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Deputy Healy also raised the exclusion of a promised weekly cost-of-disability payment in regards to the new bill.

"Another promise made by all parties in the run-up to the last general election was the payment of a weekly cost-of-disability payment. Research by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice showed it costs a family caring for a disabled person an additional €244 per week. That has not been acknowledged in this Bill or in the recent budget.

"There are also serious barriers to employment for people with disabilities, including the loss of secondary benefits like travel, household benefits and the fuel allowance. The income disregard of €165 is too low. Many European countries have a full disregard. The question of child poverty is also one that comes up in relation to this Bill and the budget. Again, we see no reference to a second tier of child benefit, which is urgently needed," he concluded.