The means test for the Carer's Allowance in Ireland excludes thousands of carers.

Omissions

• The exact number of carers excluded specifically by the means test is not publicly available in disaggregated form from the Department of Social Protection; the 37% rejection figure covers all refusal reasons, not only means-test failure.
• No primary source from the Department of Social Protection with precise breakdowns of rejection reasons by category was found to verify the claim directly.
• The RTE article on the State of Caring 2026 report was published after the session date (2026-06-09), though data it describes predates the claim.

Sources

• PrimaryGovernment of Ireland (Department of Social Protection)Minister Calleary announced significant improvements to the Carer's Allowance means test, increasing the weekly income disregard by €175 to €625 per week for single carers and by €350 to €1,250 per week for couples, acknowledging that the existing means test thresholds were restricting access to the payment.
• SecondaryIrish ExaminerOver a third of claims for the Carer's Allowance are being rejected each year, sparking renewed calls for the means test to be scrapped. The article reports that 37% of carers who applied for Carer's Allowance were refused.
• SecondaryHouses of the Oireachtas — Dáil Éireann DebateDuring the Private Members' Motion on the Abolition of the Carer's Allowance Means Test, it was stated that '37% of carers who applied for carer's allowance last year were refused' and that 'the means test excludes thousands of carers right across this State.'