Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 June 2025
163. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure entitlement to disability allowance for young people who have been in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33138/25]
View answerDisability Allowance is a means tested payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement. Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means tested payment of €360 to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. Eligibility is not based on a specific disability or diagnosis, but rather on the impact of the condition and the level of care and attention required by the child.Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child reaches 16 years of age. This aligns with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance. If the young person continues to have a disability that significantly impacts their daily life, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of €244 per week. If their parent or guardian continues to provide full-time care they can then retain, or apply for, a carer's payment.Given the fundamentally different qualifying conditions for the two schemes - one being a means tested disability payment and the other a non-means tested payment for carers - it would not be appropriate to provide for automatic entitlement between them.
