asked the Minister for Health the reason disabled persons who reach 16 years of age and remain at school cease to be eligible for handicapped children's allowance, while at the same time cannot qualify for dependent persons maintenance allowance because they remain at school; if he proposes to rectify this situation; and, if so, when.
Written Answers. - Eligibility for Allowances.
456.
The domiciliary care allowance is payable only in respect of severely physically or mentally handicapped children between the ages of two and 16 who are living at home and who require from another person constant care or supervision substantially greater than that which would normally be required by a child of the same age or sex. A person in respect of whom a domiciliary care allowance is payable would not normally be in full time education after the age of 16.
The regulations governing payment of a disabled persons maintenance allowance require that a person must be medically certified as being substantially handicapped in undertaking work of a kind which, if he were not suffering from the disability, would be suited to his age, experience and qualifications. Persons in full time education would not therefore meet these criteria.
Obviously the situation is not a very satisfactory one and I have asked my Department to examine the position of young people who remain on at school to see whether their position could be improved.