Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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523. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding an enhanced illness benefit and jobseeker’s allowance increase claim for a couple (details supplied) in Dublin 6; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17887/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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When the person concerned applied for Enhanced Illness Benefit, he was recorded as an adult dependent on his partner's Jobseeker's Allowance claim. An individual cannot receive a payment in their own right while at the same time being recorded as a dependent on another claim. The overlap of the claims has been addressed and arrears of Enhanced Illness Benefit has issued to the person concerned.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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524. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied). [17952/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Overpayments of social welfare assistance and benefit payments arise as a consequence of decisions made under the relevant sections of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended). Customers who have been overpaid social welfare have a liability to refund the overpayment as they have been in receipt of a payment to which they were not entitled. Where an overpayment is raised, the Department makes every effort to recover the amount overpaid.

Recovery is sought over a period without imposing undue financial hardship on the customer. The Department will work with the customer and consider personal circumstances in determining a repayment plan.

The Department is currently reviewing the overpayment in this case. A Social Welfare Inspector will be in contact with the customer shortly.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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525. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the disparity between the levels of refusals for the domiciliary care allowance by age group; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that applications for those aged 11 to 16 years have a refusal rate of 43% in 2021 and 35% in 2020 compared to a refusal rate for children aged 0 to5 years of 21% in 2021 and 9% in 2020 (details supplied); if she will carry out a review of this matter to ensure that those aged 11 to 16 years are not more likely to be refused owing to later assessments and or diagnoses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17983/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary care allowance is a monthly payment to the parent/guardian of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

Applications for domiciliary care allowance are decided by a deciding officer on a case by case basis, with the decision reflecting the individual merits of each application. The deciding officer will have the benefit of the opinion of one of the Department’s medical assessors prior to making their decision.

The medical assessors are all fully qualified medical practitioners who have training/experience in human disability evaluation. The medical assessor’s opinion is based on the information furnished as part of the application process. This information includes personal details supplied on the application form by the child’s parent / guardian; details of the additional care and attention required by the child as outlined by the parent / guardian and medical details provided by the child’s GP or specialist. Any additional information the parent/guardian considers relevant to the application is also reviewed (this could include consultant’s reports, reports from a community health doctor, a copy of the needs assessment carried out by the HSE etc.).

Eligibility is determined primarily by reference to the degree of additional care and attention required by the child rather than to the type of disability involved.

The percentage of any age cohort who are ultimately deemed qualified over any particular period of time will vary due to a number of factors, including the volumes of applications relating to that age group and the ability of the child, as they get older, to better cope with their disability without substantial additional care for another person.

I can confirm that the same assessment criteria is applied to all applications irrespective of the age of child concerned.