Scheme to provide long-term carers with State pension for first time

On Thursday, November 30, some 120,000 carers will receive a lump-sum payment of €400.

From November 29 to December 1, a €200 lump-sum payment will be made to around 240,000 people in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance. However, payments may differ per recipient. 

A lump sum of €100 per child will also be paid to families in respect of 370,000 qualified children. This is given to people who receive an "increase for a qualified child" on their primary social welfare payment.

Ms Humphreys will announce the "Long Term Carers' Contribution" scheme, the first in the history of the State, which will make it easier for a long-term carer to qualify for a contributory State pension. 

Ms Humphreys is expected to say: “This will help ensure that thousands of people, mainly women, who have spent time caring for their loved ones, will now be able to qualify for the contributory State pension.

I encourage all carers to register their caring periods at MyWelfare.ie, so that in cases where they have cared for a loved one for over 20 years, their pension entitlement reflects their important contribution to their family and to society by the time they reach pension age.

Separately, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris is to announce that the State will cover the student accommodation costs for young adults leaving State care.

Currently, when a young person living in State foster or residential care reaches 18, State supports stop.

“Many care-leavers are made independent at 18 and must navigate the transition from residential care or foster care while simultaneously trying to access further and higher education without family or community support and in the face of significant costs," said Mr Harris.

“This approach will ensure the costs of accommodation are covered for this cohort of students. It will ensure they have security of tenure and will not have to worry about the costs.”