Know Your Rights: Carer’s Support Grant

Question

I’m a full-time carer and getting Carer’s Allowance. Last year I got a Carer’s Support Grant – will I get it again this year?

Answer

The Carer's Support Grant is an annual payment made to full-time carers. The payment for 2018 is €1,700. It is paid on the first Thursday of June each year. 

If you are still getting a carer’s payment on the first Thursday in June, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP) will pay the grant to you automatically, and you don’t need to apply.

People getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance are paid the grant automatically. Full-time carers who are not getting one of these payments need to apply to the DEASP (unless they got the grant last year, in which case the Department will contact them about this year’s payment).

To qualify, you must be ordinarily resident in the State and caring for someone on a full-time basis for at least six months (including the first Thursday in June) and living with the person being cared for (or, if not, be contactable quickly by a direct system of communication, for example, telephone or alarm). The person you are caring for must not normally live in a hospital, convalescent home or similar establishment.

You won’t qualify if you are working, studying or training for more than 15 hours a week, getting Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit or signing on for credits.

To apply, fill in one application form (form CSG1) for each person being cared for (a grant may be paid for each person). Forms are available on welfare.ie. You can apply for the 2018 grant until 31 December 2019.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Service below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000