Working for Work : Chapter 4 : Welfare to Work

Carer's Payments and Work

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Persons who are looking after someone who is in need of support because of age, physical or learning disability, or illness (including mental illness) may qualify for a Carers Payment. Persons in receipt of a Carers payment may work part-time.

Carers Payments and Working

Persons in receipt of Carers Allowance and Carers Benefit can engage in part-time employment or self-employment and continue to receive a Carers payment. The carer must have permission from the Department of Social Protection before taking up any work.

The following is allowed, if during the carers absence, adequate provision of care has been arranged for the person being cared for: -

  • voluntary or community work for up to 15 hours a week -
  • paid part-time as a Home Help for the Health Service Executive for up to 15 hours a week (your earnings will not be assessed as means), -
  • limited self-employment in your own home (any earnings will be assessed as means) -
  • employment outside your home for up to 15 hours a week (any earnings will be assessed as means) -
  • education or training courses up to 15 hours per week. -
  • for Carer's Benefit you cannot earn more than €332.50 per week from employment

Carer's Allowance (CA)

Carer's Allowance is a means tested payment that can be paid to carers on low incomes who look after people who need full-time care and attention. If you are looking after more than one person you may be entitled to an additional 50% of the maximum rate of Carer's Allowance each week. If you qualify for the Allowance, you will also qualify for the free Household Benefits Package (Electricity/Natural Gas/Bottled Gas allowances/Free TV licence/Free Telephone rental allowance) and a Free Travel pass.

There is no Qualified Adult payment with the Carers Allowance.

Carer's Allowance Means Test

The means test for the Carer's Allowance involves assessing your income from savings, investments, property (excluding your home) and your spouse/civil partner/cohabitants income. For a single person claiming the Carer's Allowance the amount of weekly income that is not taken into account is €332.50. For married couples, civil partners or cohabitants, (except for social welfare payments from other states, to which special rules apply) the first €665 of their combined weekly income is disregarded.

Carer's Allowance and other Social Welfare payments

If you are getting certain social welfare payments and you are providing full time care and attention to another person, you can keep your main social welfare payment and get half-rate Carer's Allowance as well. If you were getting another social welfare payment before claiming Carer's Allowance, you may get your original payment reinstated and also get half-rate Carer's Allowance.

If you are getting Carer's Allowance and subsequently become entitled to another payment, you can claim the other payment and get half your rate of Carer's Allowance - but only if the other payment is a qualifying payment for half-rate Carer's Allowance.

Half-rate Carer's Allowance is not payable with the following Social Welfare Payments - Jobseeker's Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Income Supplement, Back to work Allowance, Back to Education Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Supplementary Welfare Allowance. Contact the INOU for more information on (01) 856 0088.

Carer's Allowance and FÁS training courses

A training bonus of €20 per week is payable to person's in receipt of Carer's Allowance for 12 months or more prior to participating on a FÁS training course.

Carer's Allowance and Qualified Adult payment

If you are being claimed for as a Qualified Adult on your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant's social welfare payment and you are providing full time care to another person, you may apply for half-rate Carer's Allowance and your spouse/civil partner/cohabitant may retain the full Qualified Adult payment for you on their Social Welfare payment.

Carer's Benefit (CB)

Carer's Benefit is the payment made to insured people who leave the work place to care for a person or persons in need of full time care and attention. To qualify you must satisfy a number of conditions including:

  • You satisfy the PRSI Contribution requirements -
  • You have been in employment for at least 8 weeks in the previous 26 weeks before becoming a carer. You must have worked for a minimum of 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight.
  • You give up work to be a full-time Carer (but still allowed to take up employment/self-employment/training/education for up to 15 hours per week with the approval of the Department of Social Protection)

Carer's Benefit can be paid for a total of 104 weeks for each person being cared for.

Carers Benefit in a non-means tested payment, meaning that any savings, investments or property other than your own home is not assessed, but if you engage in employment you may not earn more than €332.50 per week.

Carer's Benefit and other Social Welfare payments

You cannot claim Carers Benefit and another Social Welfare payment at the same time. There is no half-rate or reduced rate of Carers Benefit payable with any other Social Welfare payment.

Carer's Benefit and Carers Leave from Work

The Carer's Leave Act 2001 allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. Carers Leave is unpaid leave. The minimum period of leave is 13 weeks and the maximum period is 104 weeks.

  • Carers leave is unpaid leave from employment.
  • You do not have to qualify for Carers Benefit to apply for Carers Leave
  • You must have been in employment with your employer for 12 months or more to apply for Carers Leave
  • You must give your employer at least 6 week's notice of your intention to take carer's leave

You cannot be dismissed for exercising your right to carer's leave.

If you are on carer's leave, you must give notice in writing to your employer 4 weeks before the date you will return to work, that you intend to return to work. You are to be treated as if you had been in work during your period of carer's leave except that you are not entitled to pay while on Carers Leave. You are only entitled to annual leave and public holidays in respect of the first 13 weeks of carer's leave.

For more information on Carers Benefit and Carers Leave contact the INOU on (01) 856 0088

Last Updated: 31/08/2011 ^ back to top