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Budget 2010 Courtesy of The Citizens Information Board The main Budget changes which may affect people living in Ireland are set out below. This document sets out changes in the areas of social welfare, tax, health, transport, environment, housing, education, employment and other areas. For a full list of the Budget changes, please read the Department of Finance’s Summary of Budget Measures.
Social Welfare General changes to personal payments The following payments will be reduced by €8.30 per week:
These reductions apply to the full-rate payment. There are proportional reductions for people getting reduced payments (January 2010). Qualified adult Qualified adult rate for the following payments will be reduced by €5.50 per week:
Qualified child Qualified child rate for all social welfare payments will be increased by €3.80 per week (January 2010). Older people There will be no change to the maximum rate of the following pensions:
People with disabilities The following disability payments will be reduced by €8.30 per week:
This reduction applies to the full-rate payment. There are proportional reductions for people getting reduced payments (January 2010). There will be no change in the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance. Carers Carer’s Allowance will be reduced by €8.50 for claimants under 66 years of age. There will be no reduction in Carer’s Allowance for people aged 66 and over (January 2010). Half-rate Carer's Allowance will be reduced by €4.25 for claimants under 66 years of age. There will be no reduction in Carer’s Allowance for people aged 66 and over (January 2010). This increase applies to the full-rate payment. There are proportional increases for people getting reduced payments. Carer’s Benefit and Constant Attendance Allowance will be reduced by €8.20 per week (January 2010). Families and children Child Benefit will be reduced by €16 per month (January 2010). For certain low income families affected by the change there will be compensatory measures in the form of an increase in the qualified child rate and FIS. Increase for a Qualified Child will rise to €29.80 (€3.80 increase) per week (January 2010). All Family Income Supplement (FIS) income thresholds will increase by €6 per week per child (January 2010). Maternity and Adoptive Benefit There will be a reduction of €4.50 in the minimum rate and €10 in the maximum rate of Maternity and Adoptive Benefit (January 2010). Jobseeker’s Allowance There will be no change to the maximum rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance for people aged 18 and 19 without dependent children and their qualified adult dependent (January 2010). Jobseeker’s Allowance for new claimants without dependent children will be reduced to €100 for people aged 20 and 21 (January 2010). Jobseeker’s Allowance for new claimants without dependent children will be reduced to €150 for people aged 22, 23 and 24 (January 2010). Jobseeker’s Allowance rate will be reduced to €196 for people aged 25 and over (January 2010). It will be reduced to €150 where job offers or activation measures have been refused. The Increase for a Qualified Adult for new claimants aged 20 and 21 without dependent children will be reduced to €100 (January 2010). The Increase for a Qualified Adult for new claimants aged between 22 and 24 without dependent children will be reduced to €130.10 (January 2010). The full rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance will be paid to claimants under 25 years of age if they participate in an approved education or training course (January 2010). Supplementary Welfare Allowance There will be no change to the maximum rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance for people aged 18 and 19 without dependent children and their qualified adult dependent (January 2010). Supplementary Welfare Allowance for new claimants without dependent children will be reduced to €100 for people aged 20 and 21 (January 2010). Supplementary Welfare Allowance for new claimants without dependent children will be reduced to €150 for people aged 22, 23 and 24 (January 2010). Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate will be reduced to €196 for people aged 25 and over (January 2010). It will be reduced to €150 where job offers or activation measures have been refused. The Increase for a Qualified Adult for new claimants aged 20 and 21 without dependent children will be reduced to €100 (January 2010). The Increase for a Qualified Adult for new claimants aged between 22 and 24 without dependent children will be reduced to €130.10 (January 2010). PRSI Contributions A new Universal Social Contribution will replace employee PRSI, the health levy and the income levy. It will be paid by everyone at a low rate on a wide base as a collective contribution to public services (2011). Treatment Benefit The entitlements under the Treatment Benefit Scheme will be limited to the medical and surgical appliances scheme and the free examination elements of the dental and optical benefit schemes. Health Hospital charges There are to be no increases in the statutory charges for Accident & Emergency, day and in patient services. The charges for private beds in public hospitals are not being increased. Drugs Payment Scheme The monthly threshold is being increased from €100 to €120 per month. Prescription charge for medical card and Long Term Illness Card holders Medical card and Long Term Illness Card holders will pay a charge of 50 cent per prescription item, subject to a monthly ceiling of €10 per family. (Expected implementation date 1 April 2010) Dental Treatment Under the Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), adult medical card holders may obtain dental services from dentists in private practice under contract to the HSE. In 2010, expenditure will be reduced by €30m to the 2008 level of €63m. |
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Social Welfare Entitlements
Illness Benefit Illness Benefit (Disability Benefit) is a payment for insured people who cannot work due to illness. You may qualify if you:
Details of current rates of payment are available from your nearest Citizens Information or Social Welfare Office. You may get half the personal rate of Illness Benefit for a limited period, if you get:
How long does payment last? If you have a total of 260 weeks (5 years) paid PRSI contributions, since starting work, you may get Illness Benefit for as long as you unfit for work (and satisfy the medical boards) and you are under age 66. If you have between 52 – 259 PRSI contributions, you may qualify for Illness Benefit for up to 52 weeks. When and how to apply? Go to your GP and get a medical certificate, which includes an application form (MC1). This form is only available from your doctor. Complete above MC1 form and declaration. Forward application to nearest Social Welfare Office or box number on form. You must send in a medical certificate each week for as long as you are ill, unless told otherwise. For more details of Illness Benefit you can contact: Illness Benefit Department of Social and Family Affairs Aras Mhic Dhiarmada Store Street Dublin 1. Telephone (01) 679 7777 Invalidity Pension Invalidity Pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the contribution conditions. To qualify you must satisfy both medical and social insurance conditions. You can also use social insurance contributions paid in countries covered by EC regulations or countries with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement to help you qualify. Your payment is made up of a personal rate for yourself and extra amounts for your qualified adult and child dependants. How long does payment last? You will continue to get Invalidity Pension as long as you are under 66 years of age and you are incapable of work. Payment will stop if you get any other payment from the Department (except Disablement Pension). You will automatically be transferred from Invalidity Pension to State Pension (Contributory) when you reach 66 years of age. Invalidity Pension Section Social Welfare Services Office Government Buildings Ballinalee Road Longford Telephone: (043) 40118/40045 or (01) 7043000 ext.48818/48745 Extra Benefits If you qualify for Invalidity Pension and are living in the State, you are automatically entitled to a Free Travel Pass. You may also qualify for : Household Benefit Package Assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme
Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 – 66. Your disability must be expected to last for at least one year. You must pass a medical exam and a means test to get the allowance. Entitlement to full-rate Disability Allowance has (from January 2007) been extended to all people resident in institutions. The capital disregard for Disability Allowance (currently €20,000) increases to €50,000 (from June 2007). How long does payment last? You may get Disability Allowance for as long as you satisfy the conditions, except if you are awarded another pension or allowance. Extra benefits You are entitled to free travel automatically when you get Disability Allowance. You may also qualify for:
If you need full-time care and attention, the person looking after you may get Carer’s Allowance or if they leave the workforce, Carer’s Benefit. How do I apply? To apply, complete application form DA 1 which is available from your local Social Welfare Office, Citizens Information Centre or online at www.welfare.ie or from Disability Allowance Section Social Welfare Services Office Government Buildings Ballinalee Road Longford Telephone: (043) 45211 Living Alone Allowance The Living Alone Increase is a supplementary payment for people in Ireland on various social welfare pensions who are living alone. If you are under 66 you may qualify if you live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement and Blind Pension. If you are over 66, you can qualify on a wider range of payments. Carer’s Allowance Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for carers on low incomes who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. How do I qualify? You will qualify if you the carer:
Your payment is made up of a personal rate for yourself and extra amounts you’re your qualified children. There is no increase for a qualified adult. Income Disregards Carer’s income disregard increases by €12.50 to €332.50 per week for a single person and by €25 to €665 per week for a couple (April 2008). How long does payment last? You can get Carer’s Allowance for as long as you are caring for the person(s) and satisfy the qualifying conditions. Extra Benefits All people getting Carer’s Allowance qualify for:
NB- 5th June 2008 The carers' respite grant now increases by €200 to €1,700 per annum, with over 48,000 Carers set to benefit throughout the country.
Carer’s Allowance is disregarded income when calculating entitlement to Family Income Supplement (FIS) and Medical Card. When and how do I apply? You can apply for a Carer’s Allowance by completing CR 1 available from your local Citizens Information or Social Welfare Office or download form from www.welfare.ie Note You may get credited contributions (credits) for the period of caring. These may help you qualify for a range of social welfare benefits including State Pension (Contributory). You should enquire about credits at your local social welfare office. Carer’s Benefit Carer’s Benefit is a payment for people who have made social insurance contributions and who have recently left the workforce and are looking after somebody in need of full-time care and attention. How do I qualify? You will qualify if you, the carer:
*The employment must have been for at least 16 hours a week or 32 hours a fortnight. Note If you share the care of a person with somebody else, only one of you can claim Carer’s Benefit. ** You the carer may be regarded as providing full-time care and attention and still:
Note There is a limit on earnings from employment or self-employment. How much can I get? Payment is made up of a weekly personal rate for yourself and extra amounts for qualified children. There is no qualified adult increase. Note You may get a Respite Care Grant on the first Thursday in June each year. How long does payment last? You can get Carer’s Benefit for 2 years (104 weeks) for each person you cared for. You may claim it in a single continuous period or in separate periods adding to a total of 2 years (104 weeks). There is no minimum period for claiming Carer’s Benefit. When and how do I apply? You can apply for Carer’s Benefit by completing application form CARB 1. This form is available from your local Social Welfare Office, Citizens Information Centre (CIC) or download a form from www.welfare.ie. Carer’s Benefit Section Social Welfare Services Office Government Buildings Ballinalee Road Longford Telephone: Longford (043) 45211 Carer’s Leave By law, you may qualify for temporary unpaid leave from your employment to provide full-time care and attention to another person. To check if you qualify for carer’s leave, contact the: Employment Rights Information Unit Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Telephone: Dublin (01) 631 3131 LoCall 1890 201 615 You can get further information on carer’s leave from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment website – www.entemp.ie, or by e-mailing the Department at erinfo@entemp.ie The Respite Care Grant The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment for full-time carers who look after certain people in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is not means tested but is subject to certain conditions. One Respite Care Grant is paid for each person in need of full-time care and attention. There is no need to apply if you are getting one of the Carer’s Payments. How do I qualify? You will qualify if you the carer:
How do I apply? You can apply for the Respite Care Grant by completing the application RCG 1 and returning to: Respite Care Grant Section PO Box 10085 Dublin 2 Telephone (01) 6732222 Applications for all of the above Social Welfare benefits can be obtained from your local Social Welfare Office, Citizens Information), or the Department’s website at www.welfare.ie or from the Department’s LoCall Leaflet Request Line on 1890 20 23 25. Domiciliary Care Allowance The Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly means-tested payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability. In order to qualify, the child must have a severe disability that is likely to last at least one year and:
The means test The means test applies only to the means of the child and not the means of the carer. Entitlement to Child Benefit is not affected and a carer may also qualify for Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit if he/she meets the other conditions. The carer is also eligible for a Respite Care Grant, which is paid automatically each year during the month of June. Apply to: Donegal – HSE – NW area, Community Services Office, Ballybofey, Co Donegal. Sligo/Leitrim – HSE – NW area, Community Services Office, Markievicz House, Co Sligo Exceptional Needs Payments (ENP’s) Exceptional Needs Payments are made under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. This scheme is administered by the Health Services Executive (HSE). An Exceptional Needs Payment is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not be reasonably expected to meet out of their weekly income. For example, the payments can be made for special clothing for a person who has a serious illness, visiting relatives in hospital, or other miscellaneious items. The Payment is means tested. Each application is decided on its merits by the Community Welfare Officer. |
