Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
133. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider raising the age limit for domiciliary care allowance to 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24638/23]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially in excess of the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age.
DCA ceases to be payable when a child turns 16. A child may transition to Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even if still attending fulltime education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme including certain medical criteria and a means test.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 includes a commitment to develop and consult on a "Strawman" proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to streamline the system and take account of the concerns expressed in the "Make Work Pay for People with Disabilities (MWP) report. Many of the MWP recommendations focused on the need to support young adults through education, training and social inclusion according to their capacity, and to change the qualifying age for Disability Allowance from 16 to 18 years of age while extending the age limit for receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance to 18 years of age.
Work on the "Strawman" is at an advanced stage. It is intended to carry out a wider consultation process with all stakeholders and advocacy groups following publication.
It is imperative when deciding on any changes to social protection schemes, including changes to the age limits for the relevant scheme(s), that such changes have a positive impact on those in receipt of the payments and that any unintended consequences are avoided.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
