Family Carers Ireland Responds to Budget 2025

Tuesday, 1^st October 2024: Family Carers Ireland welcomes the positive measures announced in Budget 2025 relating to income supports and see these as a significant step towards how the State should recognise and support the invaluable contributions of Ireland’s 500,000+ family carers. Whilst acknowledging announcements on respite and additional home support hours, the charity has genuine concerns around how these will be delivered given deficiencies in current schemes. Further detail is needed.

Reacting to today’s announcement, Family Carers Ireland says the decision to increase the Carer’s Allowance income disregard to €625 per week for a single person and €1,250 per week for a couple will ensure thousands of family carers will qualify for the payment for the first time while those on a reduced rate will receive a higher payment. These are significant first steps towards abolishing the means test completely.

Among the financial supports for family carers announced today are a €12 increase in core social welfare rates, a double payment in October along with the Christmas bonus, an increase in the Carer’s Support Grant from €1,850 to €2,000, an additional one-off payment of €400 to Carer’s Support Grant recipients and €20 monthly increase in the Domiciliary Care Allowance.

Family Carers Ireland welcomes the decision to extend the Carer’s Benefit to the self-employed and to make Carer’s Allowance a qualifying payment for the Fuel Allowance—two issues the organisation has campaigned on for many years.

We particularly wish to acknowledge the work of Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys.

In addition to these measures, other supports announced include a €150 increase in the Home Carer Tax Credit, a €300 rise in the Incapacitated Child Tax Credit, a €60 increase in the Dependent Relative Tax Credit, and €100 million in grants to adapt homes for individuals with mobility challenges.

The Budget provides funding for 768 additional special education teachers and 1,600 special needs assistants (SNAs), 600,000 extra home support hours. Additionally, a €336 million increase for Disability Services will facilitate more residential care beds, expanded respite provision, and additional home support hours. While these announcements are welcome, there are long-standing recruitment challenges, particularly in the home support sector which are to be addressed.

Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy at Family Carers Ireland, said:

"The increase in payments and expanded eligibility for Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, and the Fuel Allowance are positive steps forward. However, while lump sums and financial support increases are welcome, they still fall short of ensuring a fair and adequate income for those providing care at home. Research from before the cost-of-living crisis showed that caring households faced additional costs of €244 per week, so more needs to be done.

“We appreciate the Minister for Finance’s recognition that carers play a ‘fundamental role in our society’ and pledge that ‘Government is committed to supporting individuals and families with caring responsibilities’. Family Carers Ireland will continue to hold this Government, and future governments, to account to ensure carers receive the recognition and support they need and deserve.”