Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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1261. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application to backdate a domiciliary care allowance to the date of birth for a child by a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be considered. [25472/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from this person on 9 February 2011 and was found eligible for the allowance. DCA is payable from the month following receipt of the application unless good cause is shown for the delay in submitting the claim, in which case backdating to a maximum of 6 months can be considered. When dealing with the application the deciding officer was not satisfied that the person concerned had indicated a good reason for the delay in claiming the payment and, as a result, the allowance was put into payment from 1st March 2011, the month after the application was received in the Department. The person concerned was given the right of appeal, if not satisfied with the decision, no appeal was lodged.

The person concerned subsequently requested a review of the decision on the 28^thFebruary 2018, seeking to have the award of DCA backdated to the date of birth. She was informed by the Deciding Officer on 21 May 2018 that a review of the application had been carried out but a revision of the original decision was not considered to be warranted.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.