Letters to the Editor: Some good news for carers at last

Even though carers throughout the country provide long term care, with love, compassion and considerable self-sacrifice, they were thus far denied a contributory old age pension. 

It may have gone unnoticed in the details of Budget 2024 that access to the contributory old age pension will improve for long-term carers from January. 

For the first time ever, those who forwent their entitlement to work outside the home in order to look after a loved one for 20 years or more will get a long-term carers contribution on their PRSI record for each week that they provided full-time care.