THE Social Security Minister has said the government ‘remains focused’ on ensuring people who need care and their carers are ‘appropriately supported’, in response to a letter from a concerned JEP reader.
In her letter, Kay Donnelly – who looks after her 91-year-old mother – said she had reacted with ‘dismay’ when she found out she had to pick between a carer’s allowance or her pension.
In a clarification issued by the government, they accepted that on reaching pension age other benefits stop.
However, a special rule means that a person previously receiving the home-carer’s allowance can elect to continue to receive that allowance instead of transferring to their old-age pension.
The government said this recognised the fact that for some individuals the pension they would receive – based on the number of years they have paid contributions – might be less than the home-carer’s allowance.
The government’s clarification explained that this was a concession available only to home-care allowance claimants and was not available to any other individuals on reaching pension age.
Social Security Minister Elaine Millar said: ‘I acknowledge the important work that carers do within our community and as a government we remain focused on ensuring that people who need care and their carers are appropriately supported.
‘The long-term care scheme was introduced in 2014 to support families with the cost of care.
‘Although the long-term care scheme does not provide payments for family members giving care, it does support the cost of carer respite breaks and allows families to access financial support for the paid-for care that their loved ones need.’
She added that those who required further financial help might be eligible to claim Income Support and should contact the team at Customer and Local Services on 444444 to discuss this in more detail.
