I want it all

stoplooklisten

Carers benefits are means tested. This lady is complaining that her carers allowance was cut from 204/week to 4/week because she got remarried as her partners income is now included in the means test,

She is claiming, from her council house, this is unfair and discrimination for finding a partner.

It doesn't state what the "birth" father pays per week.

She was told to divorce if she wants her money :pac: It doesn't mention how much her council rent went up in the new means test.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/mums-carers-allowance-slashed-to-just-4-a-week-after-she-marries-34635743.html

I think that it is proper and correct that her partners means are included and am quite annoyed a the sense of entitlement and the lame calls of discrimination.

What do you reckon. Should carers allowance be means tested and adjusted as necessary?

Rattser

"If we were to hand Dylan over to the care of the government it would cost them a hell of a lot more than €200 a week to care for him."

He's your son, missus. It seems that she wants to be paid to look after her own son. The allowance is paid so the carer can put food on the table and pay their bills. Now she's married and her husband earns enough to provide that for the family, her allowance reflects that.

Don't see the problem myself.

stoplooklisten

Rattser wrote: »

He's your son, missus. It seems that she wants to be paid to look after her own son.

From the sun

“I feel guilty that John has to give up all of his earnings for the family


http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/7082941/Carer-mum-Its-a-disgrace-that-disabled-son-and-I-are-punished-over-me-finding-love.html

The allowance was to buy the house


Ger, yesterday told the Irish Sun how the decision has robbed her of financial independence and shattered the family’s dream of buying their modest home.

yeah wha?

One eyed Jack

It's an allowance, not an entitlement.

I'm all for the idea of funding the care of the most vulnerable people in society, but calling an allowance that is contingent on her means, her "financial independence" is just ridiculous. The woman says it's not about the money, so don't make it about the money. The State is not denying this woman her right to be able to care for her disabled son full-time.

_Brian

Rattser wrote: »

He's your son, missus. It seems that she wants to be paid to look after her own son.

Ignoring all the other parts of the story that is a fairly ignorant statement regarding Carers Benefit.

Paying Carers Benefit actually saves the state (and taxpayer) a bundle of money each year. If this lady were to go out and find a job the state would need to provide specialist facilities to care for her son and the cost would be many multiples of the Carers Benefit allowance.

Now, I agree completely with it being means tested as all payments should be. But, there are many examples where paying someone to look after their own child who has special needs is a real winning situation for us all.

Green Mile

Can the husband not now claim her unused tax credits and essentially reduce his PAYE and USC taxes, effectively increasing the total household income?

SEPT 23 1989

Taxpayers should be thanking this woman not putting the boot into her

stoplooklisten

She omitted to say the child attends school and how many hours relief she gets from this.

I think this is fantastic and I am delighted for the child but should be included in the narrative.

One eyed Jack

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Taxpayers should be thanking this woman not putting the boot into her

Thanking her for... what exactly?

My wife is a stay at home mother who takes care of our son. I thank her for that, I don't expect the rest of society to do the same, and I certainly don't expect the State to give her an allowance that she can claim is her financial independence. We're married. We aren't regarded by the State as being financially independent of each other.

Nobody's putting the boot into her either - woman goes to the media complaining, people are entitled to comment and point out that she really doesn't have an argument.

Neyite

Sadly, it's tough sh!t.

I wasn't entitled to SW benefit when I was unemployed because I co-habited with someone who had a job. Married or not, SW assess all income into a home and deduct accordingly. Equally frustrating though is that another government department, Revenue, would treat the very same couple as totally separate. A bit baffling but hey ho.You marry, you are treated as a joint entity. It's just the way that it works.

I'm not unsympathetic. Being a carer is a gruelling, thankless role. You fight for every bloody thing, and because you love the person, you cant walk away from it. And I do think that that state support of carers should be better because in the long run, they are saving the state a heap. But she's not being treated any differently to anyone else.

Alf Stewart.

Can't be the only one that is singing a very good Queen song in their head now thanks to the thread title.

Rattser

_Brian wrote: »

Ignoring all the other parts of the story that is a fairly ignorant statement regarding Carers Benefit.

Paying Carers Benefit actually saves the state (and taxpayer) a bundle of money each year. If this lady were to go out and find a job the state would need to provide specialist facilities to care for her son and the cost would be many multiples of the Carers Benefit allowance.

Now, I agree completely with it being means tested as all payments should be. But, there are many examples where paying someone to look after their own child who has special needs is a real winning situation for us all.

I have no problem with people receiving carers allowance that need it and who have no other means. I do have a problem with people saying "if I gave my son to the state, that would cost them more." What sort of thinking and mentality is that? Using your own son as a pawn, publicly, to get your own way. She failed the means test to qualify for the full payment as her husband earns enough to support the family.

Dropping it down to €4 a week is a bit measly, somewhere around the €50 mark would be more than fair so she has some of her own cash.

For all the money that is misspent in this country, I would certainly not begrudge this woman for 200 euro a week. I'm finding it hard to understand why some of the above are.