Financial supports for people with disabilities and families
Health warning Your child or relative with a disability has many great skills and attributes. Cherish these. The Department of Employment Affairs & Social Protection are not interested in these. Most payment schemes are based upon deficits that a person has.
Why do applications fail? A person may not meet the means test. A person may not meet the PRSI criteria. A person may not meet the medical criteria. A carer may not be providing full time care. Not enough information.
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) Paid to the parent/guardian of a child under 16. You provide full time care to the child. Child must have “a disability so severe” to require ongoing care “substantially” more than a child of a similar age. Doctor fills out part of form. Disability must be likely to last for one year. Payment not based upon the disability; based upon the “extra care”.
DCA Child must live at home for minimum 5 days per week. Half rate payment option. Full DCA paid for each child who qualifies. Not means tested. Satisfies the medical criteria for ‘carer schemes’. Paid monthly: € 309.50. Qualifies for Christmas bonus (on a per week basis). All eligibility reviews on hold at present.
DCA Additional form DomCare 3 for children with a Pervasive Development Disorder (eg: autism). DomCare 3 can be filled out by any specialist seeing your child. Supplementary information. Supplementary information: Daily care diary , letter from school teacher/SNA, child minder, therapist, family impact statement.
Daily care diary Useful way to demonstrate care needs. Record all care needs over a few days. Be methodical. Begin the diary from morning right through to night time. Include waking during the night. Ask yourself would I be helping another child of a similar age to do this?
Daily Care diary, ask yourself... Does the child wake in the night, if so is supervision required? Does the child need assistance getting washed, dressed, teeth brushed, shoes, etc? Are there toileting, bed wetting issues? If so describe each one and how you help. Are there eating/feeding problems? Do you constantly supervise the child? Give examples of situations. Does the child attend regular appointments, illness (from their disability), medication assistance, behaviour that challenges, etc.
Disability Allowance (DA) For people aged 16 – 66. Paid to the person not carer. Carers allowance is usually reviewed at this point if there is a carer. Injury, disease, disability expected to last at least 1 year. The person must be “substantially restricted in undertaking work ”
Disability Allowance Subject to a means test on the applicants income. If the person has a partner their income is counted as means. People in residential care qualify. Current rate: € 198 per week.
DA & DCA: the difference DCA is a payment based upon care needs. You need to demonstrate the ‘substantial care’. DA is based upon ability to work. How does this condition prevent you from working? DCA paid to carer and DA paid to person with a disability. For DA: translate the persons difficulties into barriers to holding down a job. For example: poor receptive language means difficulty in following instructions. Having no concept of danger could prove to be a hazard in the workplace. Poor motor skills could rule out dexterous jobs.
Agency Arrangements An Agent: a person appointed to collect SW payment. Reason may be illness, disability, etc. Can be family member, friend, service provider. A service cannot ‘demand’ to be an agent. A person can change agent at any time. Money must be used to benefit the person. It cannot be used on services the person is entitled to (e.g. health supports)
Carers Allowance A carer must be caring for a person due to age, illness (inc. Mental illness) full time. Carer must live with or be in position to provide full time care. If not living with the person mode of contact is required. Carer can work (or education) up to 15 hours per week The person must be over 16 and “so incapacitated” as to need full time care for minimum 1 year or under 16 for whom DCA is being paid. Doctor fills part of form.
Carers Allowance Current rate: € 214 (under 66) € 252 (over 66) Half rate payment if you are on certain other payment or care for two people. If DCA is paid for a child being cared for, Carers Allowance will be reviewed when the child reaches 16 years of age.
Carers Allowance Means tested payment. Reckonable for tax. If the person being cared for is the subject of a DCA payment the medical criteria for the payment is deemed to have been met. This part of the form does not have to be filled out. Note: apply at same time as DCA. Supplementary information: daily care diary and family impact statement .
Carers Benefit Same ‘care’ criteria as Carers Allowance. Carer is leaving work to care for a person. They can take Carers Leave up to 104 weeks. Can take a second 104 weeks for a second person. Their job must be kept open. Leave is unpaid.
Carers Benefit You will have PRSI credits made when on leave. You must meet PRSI conditions to qualify. You must have worked 8 out of previous 26 weeks. Not means tested; reckonable for tax reasons. No half rate payment option.
Carers Benefit Can work up to 15 hours per week and earn up to € 332.50 net. Rate: € 215 per week or € 322.50 (two people). When you return to work another ‘insured person’ can take carers leave in respect of the person being cared for. Same rule DCA and medical criteria.
Carer Support Grant Annual payment: € 1700 paid in June per person being cared for. Paid automatically to people on DCA, CA or CB. Also available to other carers. Care for the person full time (inc 1 st Tuesday, June). Cannot work outside the home for more than 15 hours per week. Not a means tested or taxable payment.
Additional supports People with CA or DA get free travel pass. Children under 16 do not. Fuel allowance, € 22.50 per week for 27 weeks (or in 2 lump sums). This is means tested with conditions. Household Benefits Package. TV licence and an allowance towards gas or electricity of € 35 per month. CA and DA may qualify. Medical card provided means test is met. Also discretionary medical card, GP Card, Long term illness card. All children on DCA get a medical card.
Additional supports Long term illness card for certain conditions. Can include appliances prescribed by doctor or OT. Medicines for condition only; no prescription charge. Motorised transport & mobility allowance. Closed to new applications; new scheme? Disabled persons parking card (blue badge). Community welfare officer. Waiting on a payment or payment discontinued.
Reviews and appeals Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection say the most common reason for refusal (apart from means test) is lack of information . If refused you will be notified of right to review/appeal. Stage 1: desk review, you can send in extra info. Review: in-house by DSP. Stage 2: oral appeal, you can send in extra info. Appeals/reviews take a long time (DA: 18 weeks, DCA: 26.6 weeks).
Oral appeal Appeal: Independent from Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Your case is looked at by a senior civil servant. You will meet with them to put your case across. Not an adversarial meeting. More flexible than DEASP officer. Very high success rate for reviews/appeals. DCA: 80% +; DA 70% +; other caring payments around 60% +.
Back dating of payments All payments will be back paid to application date. Any community welfare assistance will be taken from back payment. DCA can be back dated 6 months in certain circumstances. Carer Support Grant can be back dated to previous year. Write to the relevant Department section with reason.
Tax allowances Tax relief can be claimed back for up to 4 years. Incapacitated child tax credit € 3,300 per annum. Blind persons guide dog allowance € 825 pa. Allowance to employ a carer. Home carer tax credit (Carer has earnings below € 5,080). Deeds of covenant (by a person other than parent).
Tax allowances MED 1. Most medical expenses can be claimed at standard rate of tax. For example: speech and language therapy, counselling, GP visits, prescribed medicines. Not disability specific. Value Added Tax. Can be claimed back on items associated with the persons disability/illness. For example: therapy equipment, communication devices, etc. Need a letter from therapist that demonstrates need.
Tax allowances on vehicles A primary medical cert is needed to qualify for allowances but not the ‘blue badge’. VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax on vehicle can be claimed back. Duty on fuel. Exempt from motor tax. Must still apply. Vehicle must be modified and proof of work provided. Must be purchased from a registered dealer.
Additional information Inclusion Ireland 018559891 www.inclusionireland.ie www.inclusionireland.ie/content/income- support-finance www.citizensinformation.ie
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