Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 467: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the procedures and processes being applied in her Department with regard to the matter of individual review of domiciliary care allowance; if she will indicate the type of cases that are reviewed on a regular basis; if she will indicate the frequency with which reviews take place; if she will further indicate on an average per annual basis the number of reviews that are carried out, cases which are discontinued on foot of a review and reviewed cases which are referred to the social welfare appeals office, together with the outcome and average of such appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1490/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Domiciliary care allowance (DCA) cases, processed by the Department since April 2009, have a review date entered when initially awarded. This date is based on the recommendation of one of the Department's medical advisors having considered the child's medical prognosis. Review periods range from 12 months to a recommendation that they not be reviewed again. Customers who currently receive DCA will continue to receive the allowance unless there is a change in the medical condition of their child or another change of circumstances that means they no longer satisfy the qualifying conditions for the scheme. Customers are required to notify the Department of any change in their circumstances which may affect their eligibility.

The total number of scheduled reviews undertaken in 2010 and 2011, based on recommendations from medical advisors are set out in the table below. As the shortest review period is 12 months, the first review was not carried out until mid 2010.

Customers who are reviewed are asked to provide relevant up-to-date medical evidence and details of the extra care needs of their child. This information is assessed by a medical advisor and a decision is made based on their medical opinion.

Where payment is stopped as a result of a review, the customer is invited to submit any further information they may wish to have considered and that information will be further examined and/or they may appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals office. Appeals resulting from scheduled reviews in the period 2010 – 2011 are set out below.

On occasion, customers are reviewed for reasons other than scheduled medical reviews. For example, a review is carried out when information is received that another benefit claim in respect of a child for whom DCA is also being paid has stopped or when information is received that a family may have left the State.