The Irish government announced the new budget yesterday. This morning, I have had the night to gather my thoughts up off the floor. I will try to make this clear and to the point.

Carer’s Benefit NO CHANGE
Carer’s Allowance NO CHANGE
Disability Allowance NO CHANGE
Carer’s annual grant, increased by €150. That’s .41 cents per day more.

I think what many people, including the Government, don’t recognise – or accept – is that we carers have been WORKING MORE during the pandemic. We ARE indeed the front line of defense in health care for our disabled loved one.

We DO have extra expenses yet LESS “time off” (if any) and many carers have NO help at all.

So while we may not be working outside the home to keep your local pub going or on the stage to entertain you, we are working diligently behind the scenes to keep our health care system & hospitals afloat, that much less busy, during the pandemic.

We ARE WORKING.

I’m finding that when politicians say they are “helping the most vulnerable” in this budget, they’re completely forgetting those truly so profoundly disabled that they aren’t in school or day services; those at home, the incapacitated, fully dependent on a carer.

Most all other work sectors have received income supports. But not carers. Ask why? And then ask how much it will cost the State when carers like me collapse, no longer able to provide the 24/7 nursing-level care to our incapacitated, profoundly disabled, loved one.

I guarantee you it would cost a hell of a lot more to staff nurses around the clock, but this is what the government is risking in not supporting carers like me.

We ARE WORKING.