As the national budget approaches next month, carers and people with disabilities across Ireland are once again preparing to be overlooked. Despite countless reports, consultations and promises, this community continues to live on the margins, facing some of the highest rates of poverty in the State. The time has come for a basic living wage, delivered without means testing, to provide dignity, security and fairness.
Carers form the backbone of our society, supporting family members with complex needs, often around the clock and with little or no respite. Their work saves the State billions of euro every year, yet many carers are forced to live in poverty themselves. Relying on inadequate allowances, battling endless assessments, and constantly justifying their right to support, they are left exhausted both financially and emotionally.
People with disabilities face equally stark realities. CSO figures and advocacy groups consistently highlight that disabled people experience higher levels of poverty and unemployment than the general population. They are disproportionately affected by inflation because they rely heavily on basic goods and services such as food, energy, transport, and medical supports – all of which have surged in cost over the past two years. Mobility aids, therapies, and assistive technologies carry additional expenses that most households never face, compounding financial strain.
Means testing compounds this injustice. It penalises families who attempt to work, it undermines independence, and it creates a system of mistrust where people must constantly prove their vulnerability. A universal basic living wage would cut through this bureaucracy, recognise the essential contribution of carers, and respect the rights of people with disabilities to live with dignity.
This is not a radical demand – it is a moral necessity. In a wealthy country, no one who provides full-time care or who lives with a disability should be choosing between heating their home and feeding their family. The budget next month must address this inequity. Delivering a basic living wage, free from means testing, is the most effective way to lift thousands out of poverty, support families, and ensure that those who never clock off are never left behind.
Ireland has an opportunity to do what is right. Carers and people with disabilities have carried the weight of neglect for too long. This budget must be their turning point.