February 2011

DISABILITY GROUPS EXPRESS SERIOUS CONCERN AT 62% REFUSAL RATE OF ALLOWANCE FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

Nearly 2 out of every 3 applications for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) are refused according to recent figures by the Department of Social Protection. Inclusion Ireland, the Autism Rights and Equality Alliance, and People with Disabilities in Ireland (PWDI) have raised serious concerns about the very high refusal rate for DCA, a €309.50 a month payment for families of children who require extra care and attention.

Inclusion Ireland, Autism Rights and Equality Alliance, and PWDI say anecdotal evidence from their members shows a high refusal rate for children with intellectual disabilities and autism. The current refusal rate of 62% represents a trebling of the refusal rate since the Scheme started being administered by the Department of Social Protection in 2009 – it had previously been administered by the HSE, when refusal rates were approximately 20%.

Refusal rates for applications to the Scheme stand at a massive 62%. Inclusion Ireland, the Autism Rights and Equality Alliance, and PWDI say the application process for this Scheme is very detailed and takes a lot of time to complete. The qualifying condition is based on the child needing additional care and attention as a result of their disability. Many parents of children with intellectual disabilities and autism say the process is very ‘medical’, and the extra support children with intellectual disabilities and autism need is not taken into account in the application process.

The Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid to families of children aged 16 and under who “have a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention which is substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age”, according to the Department of Social Protection, which began administering the Scheme in April 2009. The scheme is not means tested, and is paid at €309.50 per month.

According to the Department of Social Protection’s own figures released on 18th February 2011, from April 2009 to end December 2010 8,846 claims were received, but only 38% of applications were approved.