Family Carers Ireland Budget Reaction - Rising Costs Continue to Outpace Supports
Tuesday, 7th October 2025: Rising costs continue to outpace the supports for family carers. Family Carers Ireland says Budget 2026 includes some positive measures but offers little comfort to families already under financial strain.
The increase in the Carer’s Allowance income disregard to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple is a significant and welcome step forward and will bring thousands more family carers into the net. However, a clear roadmap for the full abolition of the means test has not been provided. The €10 rise in core payments including Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit falls far short of meeting the ongoing increases in food, energy, and household costs.
Among the measures announced today are a €20 rise in Domiciliary Care Allowance to €380 per month, confirmation of a Christmas bonus, and a €5 rise in the Fuel Allowance to €38 per week. The Budget also provides €130 million to adapt 17,000 homes for older people and people with disabilities with no obvious increase in the maximum grant available. We await details on whether there will be any adjustments to existing tax credits.
While these measures will offer some relief, they do not address the wider financial pressure facing many caring families. The absence of any increase in the Carer’s Support Grant is disappointing. Rising living costs continue to outpace the value of these supports, leaving carers without the recognition or security needed to sustain care in their homes.
Investment in 860 additional special education teachers and 1,717 new special needs assistants is welcome, as is the planned rollout of the new Education Therapy Service, which will see special schools gain access to essential therapy supports. Funding for 6,500 private assessments will help reduce waiting times, while 1,400 school leavers and 50 older adults will be supported with new day service places. Creating posts is not the same as delivering services, and assessments must lead to real supports.
The €3.8 billion allocation to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services next year is also welcome, including 500 more nursing home places, 250 new residential care placements, and an additional 10,000 overnight and 15,000 day respite sessions.
The additional 1.7 million home support hours are welcome in principle but will be difficult to deliver given existing staffing shortages. While extra respite is promised, there appears to be no provision for emergency respite, which remains one of the most urgent unmet needs for family carers in crisis. We believe carers should have the right to respite where and when they need it thereby reducing the pressure on our health and hospital services. Supporting them to care safely can prevent burnout, ultimately avoiding unnecessary admissions and supporting early discharge from acute hospitals. We urgently require a national respite strategy.
Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy, Family Carers Ireland said: “Today’s announcement shifts the numbers but not the reality for many family carers. Budget 2026 will expand who can access Carer’s Allowance, but the payment remains completely inadequate, and today’s announcements will do little for those already in receipt of the full rate which will rise by just €10 to €270 per week. This increase equates to less than 6 cents per hour for someone providing 24-hour care. This is nowhere near a fair or adequate income.
“Caring households face extra weekly expenses of a minimum of €244. In our State of Caring 2024 survey, 69% said they struggle to cover day-to-day costs such as food, energy, and household bills, while 29% have already cut back on essentials like heating or groceries. The absence of energy supports this year will add further pressure on families already stretched to their limit. The Government spoke today about their ambition for Ireland to be a caring country. That ambition will only be fully realised when the people providing care are properly recognised and supported.”
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About Family Carers Ireland
Family Carers Ireland is the national charity supporting the 500,000+ family carers across the country who care for loved ones such as children or adults with additional needs, physical or intellectual disabilities, frail older people, those with palliative care needs or those living with chronic illnesses, mental health challenges, or addiction. It provides a range of services and supports for family carers through its Carer Support Centres nationwide and through its National Freephone Careline 1800 24 07 24. See www.familycarers.ie for more information.
