Carers Benefit

Hi there

I am retiring early from my work to care for my wife, who is on Illness Benefit, and has a long-term Illness, which means she must have constant care and attention, which I am providing, despite my own recent serious illness.

My wife worked full-time up until the illness which meant she had to leave work, and has a fill PRSI Class A record, going back 40 years, continuous.

I have worked in this Employment since I was a very young person, 16, until now, 56. So almost 40 years.

I do not pay Class A PRSI, but I have a full record at either the Civil Service rate or Class D.

I also paid the full rate for almost 4 years, as a Trainee, from age 16 to 20.

My question is, can I avail of the Carers Benefit?

Bear in mind that I will be retiring early, on a Company Early Retirement Scheme, so I would not be actually taking Leave of Absence.

Hopefully I have given enough information for someone to be able to give an answer.

Could you take Carer's Leave from work & then retire in 2 years when the non-means-tested Carer's benefit would expire?

Otherwise if you retire now you may only be able to apply for Carer's Allowance which is means tested.

Thanks for the reply.

Are you sure I would only qualify for Carers Allowance?

Just reading here sems to indicate that people leaving employment qualify.

You will qualify if you, the carer:

have been employed for 8 weeks during the previous 26 weeks,

have enough PRSI contributions,

give up employment to care for somebody full-time (this employment must have been for at least 16 hours a week or 32 hours a fortnight),

are not self-employed or employed outside the home for more than 15 hours a week (see section 4), and

are not living in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution.


The person you are caring for must:
need full-time care and attention (a medical certificate is required), and
not normally live in a hospital, home or other similar institution.

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Also here

15. What happens when I have to give up work to provide full-time care and attention?

By law, you may be entitled to temporary unpaid leave from your employment to provide full-time care and attention to another person.

For information contact:

National Employment Rights Authority
Government Buildings,
O'Brien Road,
Carlow.

LoCall: 1890 80 80 90 (from the Republic of Ireland only)
+ 353 59 91 78990 (from Northern Ireland or overseas)

For more information on the law on carer’s leave, log onto [broken link removed].

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Going on Leave of Absence is an option, but not one I can take in the current circumstances, as I will be taking an Early Retirement from work, which has limited availability going forward.

It includes a reasonably good deal, so I would need to go for it, or lose it.

Class D will qualify you for Carer's Benefit.

Welfarite said:

Class D will qualify you for Carer's Benefit.

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Thanks for that, Welfarite.

Any thoughts on frash's suggestion, shown below, that I may not qualify due to leaving on Early Retirement to care for my wife.

frash said:

Could you take Carer's Leave from work & then retire in 2 years when the non-means-tested Carer's benefit would expire?

Otherwise if you retire now you may only be able to apply for Carer's Allowance which is means tested.

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As far as I can determine here, you only need to have worked for at least 8 weeks in the 26 weeks prior to claim; whether you are retired or not won't matter as long as that condition (and the others, of course) are fulfilled.

Welfarite said:

As far as I can determine here, you only need to have worked for at least 8 weeks in the 26 weeks prior to claim; whether you are retired or not won't matter as long as that condition (and the others, of course) are fulfilled.

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Thanks indeed Welfarite for your efforts, that is some document there you linked to.

Looks fairly good regarding the Benefit, so I suppose the only way to find out is to go ahead and send in the form.

I know my position may not be usual, but in our current situation, there is a real need to be able to avail of whatever entitlements are there.

Sorry - my mistake
I thought you could only get Carer's Benefit if your leaving work was a temporary measure in which case your emplyer has to keep your job open for you.

Good luck with it.

Thanks frash.

I think in the case you outline, the employer does have to keep your job open while you are on Carers Leave, so you are right in that situation.

Cheers, and thanks for the good wishes.

As you are

• giving up work to care for your wife,
• have the required contributions and are
• covered by class D contribution

you appear to qualify on the prsi side.

The need for constant care and attention I assume has been recommended by her doctor.

Black Sheep said:

As you are

• giving up work to care for your wife,
• have the required contributions and are
• covered by class D contribution

you appear to qualify on the prsi side.

The need for constant care and attention I assume has been recommended by her doctor.

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Absolutely, she suffers from a long-term illness which has progressively taken a turn for the worse over the past year or so.

She was working up to last year, and relied on work colleagues to basically mind her while in work, and on me when at home.

This obviously could not continue, so she has left her employment, and is certified by her GP for SW purposes, but is under specialist care.

Given my own health position, which does not prevent me from giving her the care and attention she needs, according to my Doctor, the fact that I am basically coming to the end of 40 years employment, and there is an Early Retirement package available to me, I feel this is an opportune time to take the Retirement and also get the Carers Benefit, to which I am apparently entitled, subject to fulfilling the conditions laid down.

Taking my Retirement and losing my wife's Salary means we are taking a considerable hit financially, which probably will need some kind of subvention going forward.

Hopefully this answers the outstanding questions.