Senator Maura Hopkins has welcomed the news that the 2016 Carer’s Support Grant is set to be paid this week and that it has been fully restored to it’s previous level of €1,700.
This is an important grant which is paid automatically to carers who are already in receipt of schemes like the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance”. Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has confirmed that 86,000 carers are due to receive the Carer’s Support Grant this week on Thursday June 2nd.
Senator Maura Hopkins stated that this was “formerly known as the Respite Care Grant and the payment had been reduced by €325 during the economic crisis. However, I am very pleased that this important grant has now been restored it to its previous level of €1,700. Minister Varadkar confirmed that “the grant is an annual payment available to all carers providing full-time care and attention to an older person or a child or adult with a disability, regardless of their means or PRSI contributions. The estimated expenditure on the Carer’s Support Grant this year is €157.6 million”.
The annual Carer’s Support Grant is paid in respect of each care recipient to take account of the additional cost of providing respite care for one or more recipients of care. Some 7,000 carers are currently taking care of two or more people.
Senator Hopkins stated that “currently, from having met with many carers over the past two years, there are strong feelings of being undervalued in their role as carer and it is vital that we support carers in performing what is an essential role to the people they care for and society as a whole. The restoration of this grant is a positive step towards beginning to value carers and the important work that they do”.