Kildare South TD Martin Heydon has welcomed the payment of the annual support grant to 4,466 hard working carers in Co. Kildare.
“The annual grant of €1,700 is available to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for, to take account of the additional cost of providing care and to recognise the particular challenges faced by these carers.
“The Carer’s Support Grant is paid automatically to carers who are receiving Carer’s Allowance (whether full rate or half rate), Carer’s Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance. . It is also available to full-time carers who are not in receipt of these payments. I urge these carers to apply for this grant. It is not means-tested and is assessed on the level of care being provided by the carer.”

“As we mark the beginning of Carers Week next Monday, we acknowledge the tremendous work carried out by carers across Co. Kildare and the selfless work they do.

“Their contribution to society and our wider healthcare system is beyond measure. I know from speaking to many of them over the past few weeks, that this period of lockdown has been particularly difficult for them and their loved ones.

Application forms along with full details on the Carer’s Support Grant are available on the Department’s website at the following link:https://www.gov.ie/en/service/16220307-carers-support-grant/

ENDS

Note for Editors
● The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s expenditure on Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant (formerly Respite Care Grant) was €1.2 billion in 2018.
● This increased to €1.3 billion in 2019.
● The estimated expenditure on these schemes for 2020 is €1.4 billion.

Number of carers per county receiving grant
Carlow 1816
Cavan 1829
Clare 2881
Cork 13518
Donegal 5045
Dublin 24770
Galway 6025
Kildare 4466
Kilkenny 2189
Kerry 4041
Laois 2147
Leitrim 897
Limerick 6056
Longford 1387
Louth 3364
Mayo 3644
Meath 3805
Monaghan 1379
Offaly 2550
Roscommon 1912
Sligo 1744
Tipperary 5020
Waterford 2986
Westmeath 2635
Wexford 4545
Wicklow 3191
Outside the state 59
Northern Ireland 27