Medical Card Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2015

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

Questions (471)

Róisín Shortall

Question:

471. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm that it remains the practice of the Health Service Executive to award medical cards where the only income of the applicant is from social welfare; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that under 25s who live with their parents and whose only income is age-related social welfare payments are being refused medical cards on the basis that their income is too low; if he will confirm that in 2011 there was a change to administrative practice to deal with this anomaly; if this has been changed since, and if so, when and the reason; if he will ensure that administrative practices are set so that under 25s who are in receipt of a reduced rate social welfare payment relating to their age are not denied a medical card because their income is deemed to be too low. [2813/15]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

The HSE National Assessment Guidelines state that applicants whose weekly incomes are derived solely from social welfare allowances or benefits or Health Service Executive allowances, which are in excess of the income guidelines (either at first application or on renewal), should be granted a medical card.

People aged 16 to 25 years who are eligible for a medical card are those who are dependants of a medical card holder or who are financially independent in their own right and come within the medical card guidelines. It is correct to say that some persons aged between 16 and 25 years in receipt of social welfare payments may not qualify for a medical card where they have not demonstrated that they are not financially dependent on another person.

Previously, a person in receipt of weekly income greater than or equal to the Supplementary Welfare Allowance was deemed to be financially independent. It is accurate to say that the HSE has changed this practice. Currently, a person in the age group 16 to 25 years, whose income is equivalent to or greater than €164 per week, is considered to be financially independent. Such a person can be assessed in his or her own right against the medical card assessment guidelines.