The government scheme has been made available to those caring for an older person or someone with a disability.
However, there are calls for a long-term plan to help carers rather than just government grants.
Johanna Powell from Wexford is one of those who will be getting the payment today.
She cares for her daughter who suffers from severe physical and mental disabilities and says the grant alone is not enough.
"It's a help, of course, it's a help, but for the expenses of having a child with a disability, it doesn't really go that far," she said. We have to provide for heating in the house because they don't move around as much as we do, there is wear and tear on clothes, there's transport.
"It is more expensive to have a disabled child in the house than to be by yourself."
