Getting paid to care for a family member in Ireland

Ireland has strong carer payments made directly to the carer — but, unlike the UK, it has no statutory cash direct-payment scheme that lets a person buy their own care. Home support in Ireland is delivered as a service, not as money. Keeping those two things apart avoids a lot of disappointment.

Track 1: Payments made to you as a carer

Carer's Allowance (means-tested)

  • • €270 a week if you are under 66; €308 a week if you are 66 or over.
  • • Caring for two or more people adds 50% — €405 (under 66) or €462 (66+).
  • • You must be providing full-time care.
  • • You may work, study, or volunteer no more than 18.5 hours a week.
  • • The person cared for must need full-time care for at least 12 months.
  • • A means test applies. The income disregard rose significantly from July 2026 to €1,000 a week for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, so people previously refused may now qualify.

Carer's Benefit (PRSI-based, not means-tested)

  • • €271 a week, based on your PRSI record rather than your means.
  • • Payable for up to 104 weeks per person cared for.
  • • You must have given up or reduced work to provide the care.

Carer's Support Grant

  • • €2,000 a year per person cared for.
  • • Paid automatically each June to people getting Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, or Domiciliary Care Allowance.
  • • If you get none of those, you can apply using form CSG1.

Apply through MyWelfare (using MyGovID) or on paper forms.

Track 2: Home support — a service, not cash

There is no Irish equivalent of UK Direct Payments. What exists is:

  • • HSE Home Support Service — care hours delivered by the HSE or an HSE-approved provider. It is free and not means-tested for people aged 65+, with some exceptions for under-65s such as early-onset dementia.
  • • Consumer Directed Home Support (CDHS) — the person is told a confirmed weekly HSE funding amount and can direct it to an HSE-approved provider of their choice. The money goes to the approved provider, not to the individual as free cash.
  • • Personal Assistant (PA) service — for people with physical or sensory disabilities, where "the Personal Assistant is employed by you". It is arranged through the HSE or local primary care, availability varies considerably by area, and there are no published national rules on who the PA may be.
Being straight with you: whether a family member living in the same household can be paid under Home Support, CDHS, or the PA service is not confirmed by any primary government source. We won't claim it is allowed, and we won't claim it is banned. Contact your local HSE Home Support Office directly and ask about your own circumstances.

A statutory home support scheme is still being developed. The Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 passed in mid-2026, but it establishes regulation of providers — it does not create a cash entitlement for individuals.

How to apply

  1. 1. Complete the HSE Home Support Application Form.
  2. 2. A public health nurse carries out a Care Needs Assessment.
  3. 3. Ask directly about CDHS and about who may be employed to provide the hours.
  4. 4. Separately, apply for Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit through MyWelfare in your own name.

Official sources

Keeping this organised

Means tests, medical reports, and reviews all need the same underlying evidence — hours of care, dates, and expenses. FeatherKeep organises your care documentation and expenses automatically.

See what else you may qualify for
General information only, not legal, benefits, or financial advice. Rates shown are 2026/27 figures and are reviewed annually — reconfirm current amounts at gov.ie, with the Department of Social Protection, or with your local HSE office before making decisions.