‘What will happen if my partner’s illness progresses?’
A Cork carer has described living in constant fear of her partner’s “invisible” condition worsening and the threat of suddenly becoming homeless.
Máire Costigan’s partner Sean Gallagher (not their real names) has suffered with a severely debilitating autoimmune disease for over 15 years.
Mr Gallagher relies heavily on his partner for everyday activities like cooking, cleaning, shopping, showering, and other basic needs.
The couple, who live in Cork city, were recently subject to a means test to determine whether Máire could continue to receive her weekly Carer’s Allowance (CA) welfare payment from the Department of Social Protection (DPS).
Having met the necessary criteria, the couple were then immediately hit with a follow-up requirement for a medical assessment for Mr Gallagher which is yet to be completed.
Due to Mr Gallagher’s illness being “invisible”, (not visually evident), he was removed from an insurance plan at the company where he was employed at the time of his diagnosis.
He said: “I fought the decision for over a year, but my mental health suffered badly from it to the point I had to drop the case.
“Last week we received another letter to say I have to be medically assessed to continue receiving our entitlements. As my illness is ‘invisible’, this is a concern as we’re relying on someone to believe what I am saying.”
“There is no way to measure any of this.
“We could simply be removed with very little recourse if someone so decides. It has left me feeling helpless and powerless to fight my case.
“I understand there are people who abuse the system, but those people are very few and far between. Doing mass assessments like this will almost certainly result in genuine cases being denied the basics for survival,” said Mr Gallagher.
His partner and carer, Ms Costigan said that although she is grateful for the Carer’s Allowance, she feels she and others in her position are hugely overlooked in Ireland.
She said: “Caring for your loved one should be the main focus, but unfortunately that is not the case.
“My main worry is if we will become homeless at any time, what can we do? What will happen if my partner’s illness progresses or if I get ill? Who is there to take care of him?
“As carers we save the Government a lot of money, and as thankful as I am for the Carer’s Allowance, this just highlights how little they care for those who care for others.
“With this re-assessment, it really reinforces the feelings carers and those with a disability go through – the isolation, the worry, the impact that being forced into poverty has on you and the feeling that you do not have a voice and that you are not seen.”
Catherine Cox of Family Carers Ireland (FCI), a national charity that has lobbied tirelessly for carers’ rights since 2016, said less visible illnesses, including autism and other mental health disorders, can often be more difficult to prove.
She said: “In response to that, we would have lobbied quite firmly with the Department of Social Protection to, within the application form spaces, allow carers to comment and to describe the care they provide.
“There’s no doubt that the process for carers and the person who receives the care can be very stressful and cause anxiety.
“We see that all the time and it’s why we have been calling for the abolition of the means test.”
The Carer’s Allowance is currently €270 a week for a carer aged under 66 who looks after one person, a figure Ms Cox said is “nowhere near adequate”.
She continued: “It should be a payment that recognizes the value of the work that carers do, rather than them having to be within a welfare system, despite the fact they’re saving the state 20 billion euros every year.”
Commenting on its reviewing system, the DPS said reviews can arise from customer requests for a review of their claim, from targeted and random case selections, or where specific information comes to the attention of the department.
The DPS said that a review on one element of eligibility for Carer’s Allowance does not necessarily trigger a review of another element of eligibility.
Ms Costigan said: “I do worry that this will happen again, and I worry for our future.
“I worry that there will also be those who have zero support, are unable to advocate for themselves, or in the case of us long term carers, are worn down and beaten by the system that is supposed to help us.”
Any carers in need of support can contact Family Carers Ireland on freephone line 1800 24 07 24. For more information, visit familycarers.ie.