Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the criteria used in determining the recent withdrawal of domiciliary care allowance and carer's allowance from a number of recipients in County Laois and County Offaly; the number of appeals received from counties Laois and Offaly following the withdrawal of these payments; the time frame involved in dealing with these appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21549/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Domiciliary care allowance (DCA) cases are routinely reviewed to ensure that the conditions for receipt of the payment continue to be met. Cases are reviewed based on either the recommendation of the medical assessor when the claim is initially processed or on the basis of information received about a change of circumstances which potentially affects the continued entitlement of a case already in payment. Scheduled reviews, on the recommendation of the medical assessor, are based on the prognosis of the child's disability and how their care requirements may change over time.

DCA reviews are initiated with the parent/guardian being asked to complete a "review of medical criteria form", which also requires medical input from the child's GP. The parent returns this form, together with any additional recent reports of ongoing medical or therapeutic services the child may be receiving. This information is then sent for review by one of the Department's medical assessors who will provide an opinion to the deciding officer on whether the child still meets the medical criteria for receipt of the payment.

The decision of the deciding officer is communicated to the customer in writing and they are given the option to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals office. Any new or additional information received after the issue of the revised decision and before the appeal is heard, is further assessed by another medical assessor. In this way, the process affords parents/guardians every opportunity to provide additional information and to have this information assessed at an early stage with payment restored where necessary, in advance of an appeal hearing.

Eligibility for the DCA is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. Each application is assessed on an individual basis, taking account of all the evidence submitted. Carer's Allowance is a social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full time care and attention to elderly people or to people with disabilities and whose income falls below certain limits. Where the person being cared for is under 16 years of age, one of the qualifying conditions for receipt of Carer's Allowance is that a Domiciliary Care Allowance must be in payment for the care recipient.

I understand from the Social Welfare Appeals Office that statistics are not maintained on a county by county basis and it is not in a position, therefore, to supply the information sought by the Deputy in relation to counties Laois and Offaly. For the first quarter of 2012, the average time taken to process DCA appeals decided by summary decision is 27.8 weeks and 43.4 weeks for those requiring an oral hearing. In the case of carer's allowance appeals, the corresponding figures are 29.6 weeks and 46.8 weeks. These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date on which it is finalised.