Information For Parents

A selection of information to help you, as a parent, become more informend. We will be continually adding to this page, so dont forget to check back for updates. 

Please note that just viewing our pages is no substitute for joining Aspire. As a member you will be privy to information that is not included online. 


What Allowances are Available?      

Domiciliary Care Allowance

The Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly means tested payment made in Ireland to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. In order to qualify, the child must have a severe disability that is likely to last for at least one year and:

• Be aged under 16, (at 16, the child can apply for a Disability Allowance) 
• Live at home with the person claiming the allowance for 5 or more days a week - see 'Half rate payment' below 
• Meet the medical criteria - see below
• Be ordinarily resident in the State.

In addition, the person claiming the allowance for the child must:

• Provide for the care of the child
• Be habitually resident in the State.

The Domiciliary Care Allowance scheme was administered by the Health Service Executive before it was transferred to the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

The transfer took place in two stages:

• Since 1 April 2009 -  all new claims for Domiciliary Care Allowance are being decided by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.
• Since September 2009 - the Department have taken over responsibility for the payment of all Domiciliary Care Allowance claims from the Health Service Executive.

Medical criteria - Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance is not based on the type of impairment or disease, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind which means the child needs extra care and attention. The Department’s Medical Assessor will take the following into account before giving his/her opinion on whether the child meets the medical criteria:

• Review the history of the case
• Consider all medical reports received
• Have regard to the description of the care and attention required by the child given by the parent/guardian.

Half rate payment - Children who are being cared for on a full time basis in residential homes or other institutions are not eligible for the allowance. However, children in residential care who go home may receive a half rate payment if they are at home for 2 days or more a week, for example, a child who attends residential services from Monday to Friday and goes home at weekends.

Reviews and appeals - If your application is refused on medical grounds, you may submit additional information and ask for the case to be reviewed by a different Medical Assessor. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of this review, or wish to appeal on other grounds, you can appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

The Domiciliary Care Allowance rate is €309.50 per month (2010). 

There is no restriction on the number of children in respect of whom you may claim Domiciliary Care Allowance. (In other words, if you are caring for more than 1 child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, you may claim the monthly allowance for each).

Payment is made on the third Tuesday of every month for the current month.

Other payments - Entitlement to Child Benefit is not affected and a parent or other carer may also qualify for carer’s Benefit or carer’s Allowance if they meet the other conditions. You can also claim a Respite Care Grant, which is paid automatically each year during the month of June.

Please visit the following website for further details and how to apply: www.welfare.ie

Applying for the DCA for the first time?  Then it is very important that you read the following information first. Click here to open the page

Respite Care Grant

The Respite Care Grant is an annual payment made to carers by the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DSFA) in Ireland. Carers can use the grant in whatever way they wish. You can use the grant to pay for respite care if you wish, but it is not necessary to do so. 

In June of each year, the Department of Social and Family Affairs pays the grant automatically to carers getting Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Prescribed Relative’s Allowance or Domiciliary Care Allowance from the Department. Only one Repite Care Grant can be paid for each person getting care.

The grant is paid to those getting one of the payments mentioned above as well as certain other Carers providing full-time care. If you are not receiving one of the above payments, you must be:

• Aged 16 or over
• Ordinarily resident in the State
• Caring for the person on a full-time basis
• Living with the person being cared for or, if not, be contactable quickly by a direct system of communication (for example, telephone or alarm).

If you are caring for more than one person, a grant is paid for each of them. A Respite Care Grant of €1,700 (2010) is paid for each person you are caring for. It is not taxable. 

From 2010, all Respite Care Grants will be paid by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

You can get a Respite Care Grant application form, from your Social Welfare Local Office or Citizens Information Centre.

Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability in Ireland that are aged 16 or over. 

To qualify for Disability Allowance you must:

• Have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be expected to continue for at least one year. As a result of this condition you are substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age, experience and qualifications
• Be aged between 16 and 66
• Satisfy a means test
• Satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition.

You may engage in rehabilitate employment and earn up to €120 per week without your payment being affected. You must first seek permission from the Department of Social and Family Affairs before engaging in work.

From January 2010, the weekly maximum rate of Disability Allowance is:

Personal rate (claimant)	€196 (maximum rate)
Qualified adult	€130.10 (maximum rate)
Qualified child	€29.80 (full-rate) €14.90 (half-rate)

Medical exam - When you apply for Disability Allowance you can be called for a medical exam. If you are called for a medical exam and are unable to attend, or if you need help or information about your medical, you should contact the Medical Review and Assessment Section. If you do not attend your medical exam you may not get your Disability Allowance.

Disability Allowance Section, Department of Social and Family Affairs, Social Welfare Services Office, Government Buildings , Ballinalee Road , Longford. 
Tel: (043) 334 0000 // Homepage: www.welfare.ie 


Carers’ Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people living in Ireland who are looking after someone who is in need of support because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. The Carer’s Allowance is not payable to everyone, it is mainly aimed at carers on low incomes who live with and look after certain people who need full-time care and attention. You will also qualify for free household benefits (such as Free Electricity/Natural Gas/Bottled Gas Refill Allowance, Free Television Licence, Free Telephone Rental Allowance) and a Free Travel Pass.   

In order to be entitled to a Carer’s Allowance:

• You must be living with, or in a position to provide full-time care and attention to a person in need of care who does not normally live in an institution.
• You must be resident in the state
• You must not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution
• You must be at least 18 years old and
• You must not be engaged in employment, self-employment, training or education courses outside the home for more than 15 hours a week. During your absence, adequate care for the person requiring full-time care and attention must be arranged.

The person being cared for must be:

• Over the age of 16 and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention or aged under 16 and in receipt of a Domiciliary Care Allowance.

The person receiving care is regarded as requiring full-time care and attention where

• He or she is so incapacitated as to require continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself or continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions, and
• He or she is so incapacitated as to be likely to require full-time care and attention for a period of at least twelve months.

Your means are any income you or your spouse/partner have or property (except your home) or an asset that could bring in money or provide you with an income, for example, an occupational pension, pensions/benefits from another country.

Carer’s Allowance rates from January 2010:

Carer	Maximum weekly rate
Aged under 66 – caring for 1 person	€212
– caring for 2 or more	€318
Aged 66+ – caring for 1 person	€239
– caring for 2 person	€358.50
Increase for a Qualified Child	€29.80 (full-rate) €14.90 (half-rate)

Carers Allowance has no qualified adult payment. 

Contact: Carer’s Allowance Section, Department of Social and Family Affairs, Social Welfare Services Office, Government Buildings , Ballinalee Road , Longford. Tel: (043) 334 0000 // Homepage: www.welfare.ie 


Incapacitated Child Tax Credit

A tax credit may be claimed by parents of a child with a permanent physical or mental disability. In 2010, the Incapacitated Child Tax Credit is €3,660 (unchanged from 2009). Contact the Revenue Commissioners, 9/15 Upper O’Connell Street,  Dublin 1. Tel: 1890 333 425. www.revenue.ie 


Revenue Allowances

You may also be entitled to an incapacitated Child Allowance from the Revenue Commissioners and a refund of certain medical expenses using the Med 1 form. Tel: 1890 333 425. www.revenue.ie 

July Provision

A provision concerning the continuation of education for the month of July is available. Applies only to Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome only. Contact the Dept. of Education and Science for further details. Tel: 01 889 6400. www.education.ie  

* All amounts as per April 2010 (citizensinformation.ie) 

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Application for Assessment of Disability Related Needs 
for a Child Under 5 Years

Assessment of Need for Children under Five (5)

On June 1 2007, Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 becomes law for children under 5 years of age. Under Part 2 of this Act, children with disabilities have a right to:

• an independent assessment of their health and educational needs arising from their disability
  
• an assessment report
  
• a statement of the services they will receive
  
• make a complaint if they are not happy with any part of the process

The HSE has produced an information leaflet for parents, which will be available from your GP, Pharmacy, Hospital and Local Health Office. 

Who can apply for an assessment?
Any parent who feels that their child aged under 5 may have a disability can apply for an assessment. An application can also be made by a guardian.

What is an Independent Assessment of Need?
An independent assessment of need is an assessment of the full range of your child’s needs associated with his or her disability. After this you will receive an assessment report detailing your child’s health and educational needs and the services required to meet those needs.

Who will carry out the assessment?
Your first point of contact is your local Assessment Officer who is responsible for your child’s assessment. Each Local Health Office has an Assessment Officer. They can assist you with your child’s application and help and support you through the process. The Assessment Officer is responsible for issuing your child’s assessment report.

The assessment is independent, based solely on your child’s disability needs, and is carried out regardless of the cost or availability of services. All assessments will carried out in line with the standards developed by the Health Information and Quality Authority.  You will be encouraged to take part in your child’s assessment.

Where do I apply?
Applications must be made in writing on a standard form which is available from your Local Health Office.

How long will it take?
Your child’s assessment must start within 3 months from when the completed application form is accepted by the HSE. It must be completed within a further 3 months from the date on which the assessment commenced. In exceptional circumstances, the assessment may take longer than 3 months, but must be completed as soon as possible.

What happens next?
When the assessment is complete, a HSE Liaison Officer will prepare a service statement for you. The service statement will say what services and supports will be provided to your child and will be prepared within 1 month of the assessment being completed. You will receive your child’s assessment report and
service statement at the same time.

What can I do if I am not satisfied?
If you are not happy with the assessment or service statement, you can make a complaint to the HSE, who will arrange for your case to be reviewed. You can complain if:

1. your child is found not to have a disability and you do not agree
2. the assessment is not done in line with the standards set by the Health Information and Quality Authority
3. an assessment is not started and completed within the agreed timeframes
4. the services in your child’s service statement are not being delivered

If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint you can appeal to an independent appeals office. The determination of the appeals officer is final and may only be appealed on a point of law to the High Court.

To apply for an assessment:
Applications must be made in writing on a standard form which is available from your Local Health Office. You can call the HSE infoline on 1850 24 1850 to speak to one of our staff.

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If you have any questions concerning the content of this page, please dont hesitate in contacting our Veronica Leaney, Education Officer for aspire. 

Phone:   01 878-0029
E-mail:   [email protected]