Kilkenny Carers on the Half Rate Carers Allowance work for 96 cent per hour. At its recent pre-budget briefing in Dáil Éireann for Minister’s, TD’s and Senators, The Carers Association implored Government not to introduce further cuts to vital social welfare payments for Kilkenny carers in Budget 2011.
The organisation is particularly concerned that Government may cut the Half Rate Carers Allowance of €106 per week, available to fulltime carers in receipt of another social welfare payment. Kilkenny’s 3,434 family carers, provide 79,736 hours of care each week.
With latest research finding that fulltime carers provide an average of 110 hours of care each week, those in receipt of this allowance are being paid 96 cent per hour.
“The half rate carers allowance is seriously under threat, given the proposal by An Bord Snip Nua to eliminate dual social welfare payments. Yet this payment, a serious lifeline for many local carers, is given in recognition of the full-time care they provide and to help with the increasing costs of care. If this allowance is cut, this will mean a 30 per cent income drop for Kilkenny carers in receipt of this payment. This is completely unacceptable and a cut which no other group is being asked to accept”, says Pat Grogan, Centre Manager of The Carers Association, Kilkenny.
The organisation is also asking Government to consider the cumulative effects of social welfare and service cuts to local family carers. Cutbacks imposed on the Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit and Half Rate Carers Allowance in Budget 2010, as well as the removal of the Christmas bonus, has meant that carers have seen their incomes fall five per cent. They also have to deal with this cut in a climate of increased costs in health related services, such as GP and prescription charges and private health insurance.
“Family carers are the only group in Kilkenny to work for their social welfare payments and implement Government’s own policy of supporting care in the home. They are Ireland’s invisible workforce, propping up the country’s already fragile health system. Family carers provide the ideal model for how to spend public money. They have passion for the job, work long hours, get very low wages and save the state billions. We have family carers calling our centre’s terrified of what cuts this budget will bring and are appealing to Government not to implement further cuts to carer’s payments,” says Pat Grogan.
The Carers Association’s Pre-Budget Submission 2011, titled Protecting Ireland’s Invisible Workforce, is available to download at www.carersireland.com under Library of Documents. For more information contact The Carers Association, Prior’s Orchard, John’s Quay, Kilkenny on 056-7721424.
