carers allowance application process

DeadParrot wrote: »

what is the cut off for means testing?
My wife is taking care of her father and I'm not sure if there is a point applying if I earn over X

Anything over €900 gross is too much.

fryup wrote: »

hi there..

i just got a text message from the department saying..

"your carer's allowance claim has been received. The outcome will be issued in writing."

so any guess how long i'll have to wait before i get a decision?

thanks,

Anything between 13 and 16 weeks. Maybe more.

can some please answer my question above, why the big delay

^^^^^^^^^^^^

and then a case examiner comes to your home? to double check?

Correct me if i'm wrong but from my own experience it's usually the inspector sw who calls to the house to check up on earnings bank statements ect

while awaiting the final decision on CA, am i entitled to supplementary welfare allowance ?

do they check out your personal savings/bank details?

how long did it take to get it?

how much per week?

Thanks F.

fryup wrote: »

do they check out your personal savings/bank details?

how long did it take to get it?

how much per week?

Thanks F.

You won’t get any SWA if your partner has any decent income or you have any more then 5000 in savings

fryup wrote: »

are they very strict about the 5k savings?? i'm borderline 5k

Anymore then €5000 and you are outside the means.

Pretzill wrote: »

For most SW payments the amount in savings is anything more than 20k before it affects your claim and even then it is incrementally reduced. I'm not sure if this is the same for SWO - your best bet is to approach them and ask - don't leave yourself struggling and (this might sound facetious) don't just take the word of us on the internet

Here it is from the horses mouth!
Property & Capital

Section 35 of Social Welfare & Pensions Act 2007 provides for an amendment in the manner that capital is assessed for the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. Property/Savings will be assessed on a weekly basis as follows:

Disregard first € 5,000 of capital value of property/savings
Assess next € 10,000 @ € 1 per € 1,000
Assess next € 25,000 @ € 2 per € 1,000
Assess remaining capital over € 40,000 @ € 4 per € 1,000.

fryup wrote: »

Assess next € 10,000 @ € 1 per € 1,000 in layman's english..what exactly does that mean?

If you have €6000 in the bank then you will be assessed as having €10 and €10 will be knocked off your SWA of €201.

fryup wrote: »

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

so if you have 6k in saving.....you'll receive 191 per week, 7k you'll receive 181 per week and so on ???

No if you’ve 6k you’ll get 191 if you’ve 7k you’ll get 181 if you’ve 8k you’ll get 131 if you’ve 10k you’ll get €51 SWA

fryup wrote: »

i've just received news saying i've been rejected?

how do go about the appeal process? a letter in writing? will i still be entitled to supplementary allowance while appealing?

You applied for Carers Allowance and you’ve been refused.
Who are you caring for and why did they refuse you?

DeadParrot wrote: »

My wife just got the same rejection letter.
Failed means testing by €30.56

She is caring for her father full time (we had to move him in with us)
Any advice as to what to do next? Is she entitled to nothing?
The letter advised applying for homemakers scheme, is that another 6 month process?

If that's what the letter said, then surely there must be some leway? Either phone them and ask the question (ask to speak to the supervisor) and ask them what they suggest (nicely - they are general nice people there) Ask if contacting your local TD would help?

It's ridiculous to fail by that amount.

kathleen37 wrote: »

If that's what the letter said, then surely there must be some leway? Either phone them and ask the question (ask to speak to the supervisor) and ask them what they suggest (nicely - they are general nice people there) Ask if contacting your local TD would help?

It's ridiculous to fail by that amount.

The means test is quite generous. Apart from SW payments a couple can have €665 per week and the claimant still get full Carers. It only starts going down the sliding scale at that point and a claimant can still get a small amount of Carers at nearly €800 income per week.
There has to be a point at which your income deems you ineligible.
I’m interested as to why you find that “ridiculous”?

alibab wrote: »

Was just going to post this it’s a very generous means test and as above in order to be not eligible for any payment and be completely above indicates large weekly income coming in . As with every means test there is no wiggle room with this and rightly so . There is another payment called carers benefit which is awarded for up to 2 years on stamps paid etc if have had to take carers leave and have given up work to care for someone.

Yeah I do get all that. Tbh, I was half expecting it. She didn't qualify for carers benefit by 4 weeks (returning from maternity leave, then had to care for her dad). I know it sounds like a hard luck story, particularly when we didn't pass means test but obviously she cannot claim job seekers or sick benefit and cannot work.
I just find it hard to believe there's nothing available. It also makes a potential mortgage application a real headache.

DeadParrot wrote: »

Yeah I do get all that. Tbh, I was half expecting it. She didn't qualify for carers benefit by 4 weeks (returning from maternity leave, then had to care for her dad). I know it sounds like a hard luck story, particularly when we didn't pass means test but obviously she cannot claim job seekers or sick benefit and cannot work.
I just find it hard to believe there's nothing available. It also makes a potential mortgage application a real headache.

No idea of your living conditions nor your father in laws health, but if you have a spare room, there are agencies out there that will help you get an Au pair for the elderly - so example would be you pay them 100/200 per week and if you give them bed and board, and they will care for your father in law - like do 35 hours a week or so.

You interview the girls (majority seem to be south American), and then pick one that works for you on a term that you choose.

Pretzill wrote: »

Is that legit? It seems like a very small hourly rate for what is a very difficult job.

It's hard that your wife didn't qualify and seems to fall into the cracks where there is no monetary help. Make sure she connects with the Carer's Association just to make sure she hasn't exhausted all help, and to look into respite too.

But the individual is getting board and food.

Again no idea where Deadparrot lives, but if it's in Dublin, the cost of rent for a similar accommodation would be up to €800+ throw in food - maybe €200 a month - so that's €1000 a month, then say 150 a week = 600 a month - all in all 1600 a month for around 140 hours = €11.40 an hour - above min wage.

You say it's a difficult job - again we don't know the circumstances. Does your father in law have home help coming in DeadParrott? if he has, then the role/work of the Au Pair actually goes down, as the home help team will look after most of the personal work.

Just to note - it is legit - here are some of the sites that offer it. There's no real difference to having an Au Pair for a child,

https://www.aupairagencyteam.ie/hire-a-senior-aupair


Information about Au Pair for the elderly
https://www.aupairireland.ie/blog/elderly-senior-au-pairs/957
https://seniortimes.ie/au-pairing-caring/

Just one last thing - I don't work or have any connection to the companies, I have in the past interviewed girls for a carer role, most have been south American, with varying degrees of English - some great, some not so good. It's an option if you need extra help.

Pretzill wrote: »

You can't say they would be getting above min wage by including their accomodation and board (You don't know where they live or how much food will cost) I know au pairs get very little renumeration and that it's a cheap way to see the world but personally I feel minding children is worlds away from being a carer for somebody who needs what is effectively around the clock care which would be the case if you are seeking Carer's Allowance.

Care's allowance and round the clock care are two different things. For instance you are allowed to work up to 15 hours a week on carers allowance - but how is that possible under your definition of carer allowance = round the clock care?

If he needs 24 hour care, then at a minimum he should have the home help which should be coming 3/4 times a day - they will look after his personal care, dressing/bathing/breakfast/dinner/medication etc. leaving the Au Pair to be more of a companion.

An Au Pair for the elderly may have set hours - so they work during the day, or during the night - they aren't a slave for you, as you seem to be implying by saying round the clock care.

How many Au Pair for children do you know that are earning min wage + getting accommodation + food?

Some simple math - living in Dublin - one bedroom in house + use of all facilities + food, that's min 1k a month. min wage 10er an hour? so 35*4*10 = 1400.

So all that is the equivalent of 2400 a month. There are tonnes of people in Dublin, earning way less than that, and have to get by, the idea that an Au Pair is getting screwed is far off the mark, If you believe that then you can pay them more a week for instance.

You seem to think it's easy for DeadParrott to get someone else to do the caring. You go to a home help company and you are looking at €25 per hour for help, and there is no guarantee that it will be the same person each time.

You look at nursing homes - could be looking at 5k+ a month, and that's if you can find one near you, and one that can meet his needs, Homes have 12/18 month waiting lists.

I think it's actually a disgrace that it's means tests in the first place.

Ireland has an aging population - there is a pension bomb waiting to go off, and after that comes, there then issue the issue to nursing homes and caring for people as they get even older.

Pretzill wrote: »

There are lots and lots (possibly more than 50 thousand) people in this country who are keeping their loved ones from state care by means of caring to their needs themselves with and without the carer's allowance. It's not easy, and it's not the job of an au pair - companionship yes but washing, clothing, lifting, perhaps dressing wounds etc, etc, is not nor ever will be the job of an au pair. Ridiculous.

Your trying to make out I said something that I didn't.

Please show me where I said that it was the job of an Au Pair to do those jobs. I specifically said that if he needs 24 hour care, then he will have the home help package, and that they will look after all his personal needs.

An Au Pair can help out in other ways, depending on the needs of the individual, for example they can family members a break if needs be, they can bring people for walks.

Also just to add, someones daughter or son in law is probably equally qualified to do those tasks that you mentioned as say an Au Pair, so if the state isn't providing enough care, and for instance it's falling on DeadParrott to help out - why can't he pay an Au Pair to help out in situation - and pay them more if he feels bad about the situation?

If you read any of the reports about carers you will see that a large number end up depressed, or feel that there own lives are impacted because of the stress. Couple all this with possible looking after a young family, it's going to end up one way and it won't be good. So take on the Au Pair or even you want to pay €25 an hour to the agencies do that....