Written Answers. - Domiciliary Care Allowance.
Tom Enright
Ceist:
490
Mr. Enright
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the criteria for the payment of the domiciliary care allowance by health boards; the health boards which have back-dated the allowance to the age of two; the health boards which have back-dated the allowance to the date of birth; the health boards which are paying the domiciliary care allowance only from the date of application; if there are discrepancies within individual health boards regarding the payment of these allowances; if the domiciliary care allowance has been paid in any of the four counties of the Midland Health Board and back-dated to the age of two years and earlier; if payments are being made under different criteria to people in the different counties; and if so, his plans to ensure the allowance is granted on an equal basis to all children in the Midland Health Board area.
[1198/02]
The domiciliary care allowance, DCA, was introduced in 1973 by way of circular 24/73 and is payable under section 61 of the Health Act, 1970. This is a monthly allowance paid by health boards from date of application up to the age of 16 years. It provides financial support to the carers of eligible children whose disability is so severe that they require care and attention which is considerably in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. The allowance is not paid in respect of children maintained on a full time basis in special/residential institutions. However, the allowance may be paid on a pro-rata basis for the number of nights spent at home, e.g. weekends or holidays, by eligible children who attend special/residential institutions.
To be eligible to receive this allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: be under 16 years of age; the disability must be present at the time of the application and be likely to last for at least a year; the disability must be so severe that they require from another person constant care or supervision, that is, continual or continuous care or supervision substantially greater than that which would normally be required by a child of the same age; and the constant care or supervision must be provided by the parents themselves or by arrangement by them with another person or persons.
Only the means of the child should be taken into account in determining eligibility for an allowance – the means of the parents should not be considered. Means in this context include pay ments of compensation, following a court action or otherwise, in respect of injuries or disabilities sustained. Where there is more than one eligible child in a family, a full DCA payment should be made in respect of each eligible child. In some cases, depending on medical condition, eligibility is reviewed at regular intervals, for example if the child's condition improves, he/she may no longer meet the criteria for eligibility. The maximum rate of DCA is 179.80 per month, effective from 1 January 2002.
Prior to 1 January 2000, children under the age of two years were not regarded as eligible for DCA as it was felt that such children normally required constant care and attention in any event. From the 1 January 2000 this requirement was abolished. However, the requirement that the disability must be present for six months prior to the date of application was not removed at this stage. My Department notified all health boards of this modification in a letter dated 8 December 1999.
On 1 April 2001, the requirement that the disability must have been present for six months prior to the date of application was abolished. From that date, children who meet the eligibility criteria could become eligible for DCA from birth, with payment being made from the date of application. My Department notified all health boards of this modification in a letter dated 16 March 2001.
With regard to the Deputy's further questions which refer to the administration of the DCA scheme by health boards, my Department is aware that discrepancies/anomalies still exist in the administration of these allowances. My Department has been very conscious of the need to ensure that all the disability related allowances which come under its aegis are administered by the health boards in a standardised manner.
In this context, my Department requested a working group consisting of health board representatives to examine these allowances/grants. I understand that the group's work is at an advanced stage. When the working group has submitted its report to my Department, it will be considered with a view to standardising the administration of these allowances across all health boards. Where there are financial implications, my Department will consult with the Department of Finance in the context of the many competing demands for resources within the health services.
In the meantime, if the Deputy is aware of any individual case affected by an existing anomaly in the administration of the disability related allowances which come under the aegis of my Department, he should forward the details to me and I will ask the health board to investigate the matter.
