Brendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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653. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in respect of recipients of domiciliary care allowance, what the process is when the child in respect of whom payment is made reaches sixteen years of age; if the recipient will automatically qualify for carer's allowance if an application is made; if the child will automatically qualify for disability allowance if an application is made; if there are any circumstances under which a parent receiving domiciliary care allowance might fail to qualify for carer's allowance for the child in respect of whom payment is made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35376/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) can be paid in respect of children under the age of 16 years. Children over 16 years can apply for Disability Allowance (DA) in their own right. However, different eligibility criteria apply and qualification for DCA does not confer an automatic entitlement to DA, each application is assessed on its individual merits.

DCA recipients are advised three months in advance of the child’s 16th birthday that the payment will stop the month they turn 16, but that the child may apply for and may be entitled to DA in their own right.

Qualification for DCA is deemed to satisfy the medical criteria for carers allowance. However the other qualifying conditions for the carers allowance must also be satisfied before eligibility for that payment is confirmed. As qualification for DA is based on the individuals ability to work, the medical criteria used to determine entitlement does not cover the care needs required to establish entitlement for carers allowance.

Payment of carers allowance stops when eligibility to DCA ceases. For example, at age 16 years, but it can be applied/re-applied for at any time for children/adults over the age of 16 years.