Welfare cuts ‘would mean 30% drop in income for carers’

The cuts proposed in An Bord Snip’s report today would mean a drop in income of 30% for family carers, representative group the Carers Association said today.

“If implemented, the proposed cuts to the half-rate carers allowance, will effectively cut the income of family carers in receipt of this payment by 30%. When we consider that the ESRI have forecast that a 6% wage decrease may be required in public sector pay, it is grossly unfair that our family carers could be targeted for a 30% cut”, says Enda Egan, CEO of The Carers Association.

“If the Government is sincere about saving costs, they will not implement today’s proposals which will seriously affect essential supports for family carers, who already save the state over €2.5bn and provide over 3.7 million hours of care in the home every year”, he added.

Meanwhile, older people should also not be targeted, Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said today.

“These are proposals from economists looking only at cost cutting. The challenge for any Government is to protect its most vulnerable citizens, and this is the job which faces our leaders as they sift through the options in the coming months,” he said.