Means Testing for Carer’s Allowance is unfair on both Carers and Patients and is costing the state millions of Euro more every year, according to Kerry Fianna Fáil Councillor, Michael Cahill.
“Carer’s Allowance is a weekly Social Welfare payment to people who care for someone because of their age, disability or illness – including mental illness – for at least 35 hours per week over five to seven days.
“If you have savings, shares or property, other than your own home, it will affect your carer’s allowance,’ he said.
Entitled to Savings
“After a lifetime of working hard, I believe people are entitled to have savings and this should not be taken into consideration when applying for carer’s allowance. People should be entitled to a nest egg after their life’s work and many of those caring for a child, may have other offspring for whom they may need to provide” said Cllr. Cahill.
“If somebody who has savings needed to change their car for example, there may not be much left of it and in these cases the means test would prevent many from applying.
Remove Unfair Means Testing
“Inflation over the years has also rendered this scheme out of date and I will be contacting the Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers and the Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys in advance of the Budget, to remove unfair means testing from this vital government support” said the Rossbeigh based councillor.
“If our people do not qualify for the carers allowance, many more patients will have to rely on the state for their daily care and the bill to the Exchequer could run into hundreds of millions extra” added Cllr. Cahill.
Cllr. Cahill Wants his Hat in the Ring for Dáil Éireann Elections
Incidentally, Cllr. Michael Cahill has thrown his hat firmly in the ring for the forthcoming, yet to be dated, general election.
Believing that he’s the man to deliver a second Kerry seat for Fianna Fáil alongside Education Minister Norma Foley, Cllr. Cahill appealed to the party in Kerry to add his name and vote getting prowess to the ticket in a declaration of interest made just last evening.
You can see his expression of interest on his Facebook page with a click on the link here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1016142860518997&set=a.344058677727422
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