Family carers in County Louth are paying significantly higher rents than those in neighbouring counties under the Differential Rent Scheme due to differences in how local authorities assess Carer’s Allowance.
Campaigners say the lack of a standardised national approach means carers in identical circumstances face varying rental charges depending on where they live. In Louth, some family carers pay €87 per week in rent, compared with €80.80 in Donegal and just €49 in neighbouring Monaghan. They are now calling for greater consistency to ensure carers are treated fairly regardless of their local authority.
Aontú Rep Michael O’ Dowd says
“There is a huge variation in the rents charged to carers right across the country and no consistency whatsoever. I have been approached by constituents who are in dire straits as a result of this
This is blatantly unfair and while the previous Programme for Government pledged that it would standardise the Differential Rent Scheme, it didn’t deliver.
In Donegal for instance example both the Carers Allowance and the Half Carers Allowance is assessed at the basic Social Welfare rate, while down the country in Cork County Council both of these allowances are disregarded. However the family circumstances are identical and obviously face the same expense.
This pattern is mirrored throughout the country with absolutely no consistency whatsoever
“Recent research by Family Carers Ireland shows there is a whopping 229% difference between the lowest and highest rent charged by a local authority to the same caring household
“624,190 people across the country provide regular unpaid care, the estimate value of this work is some €20 Billion per year.
It is a colossal sum of money and there is a 53% rise in people providing care to loved ones with a doubling of the numbers providing 43 hours of care per week.
We know that carers are simply incredible workers and are saving the state an absolute fortune
They get little respite and scant attention as no matter how difficult their lives are, they continue on for sake of their loved ones.
The ongoing cost of living crisis which is biting hard is having an even more severe impact on family carers and those they care for.
The fact is it sadly costs more to have a disability in this country; between €11,342 and €14,046 a year in additional expenditure and Ireland has the highest disability employment gap in the EU at 32.6%.
Therefore, it is grossly unfair that the discrepancy in rents payable to local authorities by carers is so widely varied and is putting some people at a severe disadvantage purely as a result of their respective geographical locations
The Government must get to grips with this, and fast, and ensure there is consistency across local authorities when assessing rents”.
