Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
86. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has received any reports on the onerous nature of applying for the domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46410/23]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age, and the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care must be required to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living, in areas such as mobility, personal care, feeding / diet, communication, sleeping, behaviour, safety, sensory issues, and any other additional needs.
However, eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the child's disability /diagnosis but rather on the impact of the disability, in terms of the associated level of care and attention required by the child compared to a child of the same age without their disability.
The decision and assessment process that applies in the consideration of whether a child meets the conditions for DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's level of additional care needs.
In general, social protection schemes with qualifying medical criteria such as DCA tend to require extensive, detailed information and evidence to be provided in the application process, in order to make an appropriate decision on entitlement. In accordance with the type or nature of the child's disability / diagnosis and the resulting level of care needs, some applications for DCA may require more extensive supporting evidence, medical or otherwise, to be provided for consideration in the assessment and decision process, in order to establish that the relevant child satisfies the criteria for the allowance.
It should be noted that the DCA application form (Dom Care 1) is designed and structured in accordance with the nature of the scheme and the qualifying criteria for the allowance for the purpose of capturing all relevant information, including the series of questions on this form relating to the child's care needs. My Department regularly reviews scheme application forms, including the DCA application form, to ensure that it is user friendly for the applicant, while also taking account of the nature of the scheme and the qualifying criteria for the scheme.
In relation to the DCA assessment process, all applications are referred to a Departmental Medical Assessor (MA) on receipt, for their professional opinion. The departmental MA, based on the information provided by the applicant in the application form as well any supporting medical evidence, considers the severity of the child's condition, the expected duration and the associated care needs and provides their professional opinion in relation to the child's eligibility for DCA. The deciding officer has regard to the departmental MA opinion in the decision process.
Applicants for DCA are required to complete the application form (Dom Care 1), which details the relevant child's disability and associated care needs. In cases, where a part(s) of the application form is inappropriate to the child's age or the child's specific disability, the applicant is not required to provide the relevant detail(s).
In addition to the details provided by the applicant in the completed application form, the applicant may provide any additional or further information such as a care diary, family impact statement, or any other supporting documentary evidence that is relevant to their application, such as a medical professional report(s) if available or, for example, a copy of the child's need's assessment as completed by the HSE. All details provided by the applicant in the completed application form, along with any other additional information and / or supporting evidence if provided by the applicant, provide the basis for the DCA assessment and decision process.
On occasion, an applicant or their representative may express dissatisfaction with the application process, in particular relating to the level of detail, including documentary medical evidence, relating to the child's specific disability and related care needs that may be required in some cases. However, all children require a level of age-appropriate care and the DCA application form is structured accordingly for the purpose of capturing any relevant information that may assist the assessment and decision process and in establishing that the child satisfies the conditions for the allowance.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
