Carer’s Allowance
Table of contents Carer’s Allowance Rules to qualify How to apply – *All information from CitizensInformation.ie Carer’s Allowance Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are looking after a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). If you qualify for a Carer’s Allowance you may […]Table of contents
– *All information from CitizensInformation.ie
Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are looking after a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness).
If you qualify for a Carer’s Allowance you may also qualify for free household benefits (if you are living with the person you are caring for) and a Free Travel Pass. Carer’s Allowance is not taken into account in the assessment for a medical card.
If you consider that you have been wrongly refused Carer’s Allowance, or you are unhappy about a decision of a social welfare deciding officer about your entitlements, you can appeal this decision.
Rules to qualify
To be entitled to a Carer’s Allowance you must:
- Be living with, or in a position to provide full-time care and attention to a person in need of care who does not normally live in an institution. However, you may continue to be regarded as providing full-time care and attention, if you or the person being cared for is undergoing medical or other treatment in a hospital or other institution for a period not longer than 13 weeks.
- Be habitually resident in the State.
- Not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution.
- Be at least 18 years old and
- Not be engaged in employment, self-employment, training or education courses outside the home for more than 15 hours a week. During your absence, adequate care for the person requiring full-time care and attention must be arranged.
The person you are caring for must be:
- Over the age of 16 and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention or
- Aged under 16 and getting a Domiciliary Care Allowance.
The person receiving care is regarded as requiring full-time care and attention where
- He or she is so incapacitated as to require continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself or continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions, and
- He or she is so incapacitated as to be likely to require full-time care and attention for a period of at least 12 months.
To see more details of rules and carer’s allowance rates, visit Citizens Information now.
How to apply
You should apply for a Carer’s Allowance as soon possible. To apply fill in an application form for Carer’s Allowance (CR1) (pdf). You also fill in a CR2 form (pdf) if you are caring for more than one person.
There are currently some delays in processing Carer’s Allowance payments and it may take some time for your application to be processed. You may qualify for Supplementary Welfare Allowance while you are waiting for your claim to be processed.
Payment will be awarded from the date your application is received or from the date the qualifying payment is awarded, if later. Forward the completed application form with the relevant certificates to Carer’s Allowance Section at the Department of Social Protection – see address below.
Where to apply
Department of Social Protection
Carer’s Allowance Section
Social Welfare Services Office
Government Buildings
Ballinalee Road
Longford
Ireland
Tel:(043) 334 0000
Locall:1890 92 77 70
Email: [email protected]
Application forms are also available from your local social welfare office.
- For further details, visit Citizens Information today: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/carers/carers_allowance.html
*“Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence”.