Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

43. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether a refusal rate of 60% on applications made for the domiciliary care allowance is too high; the reason the refusal rate is so high; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39521/14]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

44. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that most persons receiving it have a lifelong illness or disability, the reason the awarding of the domiciliary care allowance payment is subject to regular and rigorous review; her views on whether this process places significant additional pressure on families already under strain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39522/14]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 44 together.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid in respect of children who have a severe disability requiring constant care and attention substantially in excess of that needed by a child of the same age without the disability. The need for the additional care and attention must be likely to last for at least 12 months. Eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability, but on the resulting care needs. Each application for DCA is assessed on its individual merits and on the basis of the medical evidence and detail on the child’s care needs, as provided with the application.

To date in 2014, some 57% (2,710) of applications have been allowed at the initial stage, with a further 365 of those who sought a review of the initial decision also being allowed by the deciding officer (DO) following the provision of additional information on the care needs of their child. Accordingly, 65% of applications processed to date in 2014 have been awarded at decision stage. In addition, approx. 50% of those who appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office are successful with 573 DCA appeals allowed to date in 2014.

In early 2014 a revised DCA application form was introduced, together with a designated additional medical information form for children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) to be completed by the specialist treating the child. This is particularly useful in cases were the child’s condition may need more detailed assessment. It is hoped that the introduction of this revised application form, together with the provision of complete information by parents/guardians at the earliest opportunity will result in an increase in the number of applications being awarded at initial assessment stage, with a corresponding reduction in the number cases going to appeal.

When a DO considers that the qualifying conditions for DCA have been met, they award the allowance and also consider setting a review date based on the recommendation of the Medical Assessor. Recommended review dates can vary from a “do not review again” status, where the child’s condition is unlikely to improve before they are 16 years to between 1-10 years where there is potential for the child’s condition to improve to the extent that they may no longer need the level of care and attention required to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the scheme. Some 16% of the 28,574 children currently in receipt of DCA have a “do not review” status.

An entitlement review of DCA was one of the issues considered by the DCA review group in their 2012 report. The review group accepted that all schemes operated by DSP should have a review policy and that this is a requirement in order to satisfy the C&AG that appropriate controls are in place and to meet the Secretary General’s obligations as accounting officer.

The group acknowledged that there is a need to review cases in an appropriate timeframe. i.e. children with treatable conditions may only require the allowance for one or two years, while in the majority of cases it may be appropriate to review cases every 3-5 years. New procedures have been devised that will provide parents with significant advance notice of an upcoming review, allowing them time to obtain any supporting documentation they may wish to provide to allow their continued entitlement to be quickly and easily confirmed.

In any event no scheduled reviews on medical entitlement have been conducted since May 2012, when they were suspended following the announcement of the review of the DCA scheme. The re-introduction of scheduled reviews has been further postponed pending the outcome of an appeal to the Supreme Court in relation to a Judicial Review decision.