Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 June 2025
164. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection The actions taken to increase the upper age limit for domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 years of age; if he will consider a straight transition on to disability benefit where possible, to reduce red tape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32976/25]
View answerDomiciliary 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.
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.
Domiciliary Care Allowance and Disability Allowance are designed for different purposes. Domiciliary Care Allowance is a payment to assist parents who have a child whose care needs are greater than that of other children of the same age. Eligibility is not means tested or based on social insurance contributions. Disability Allowance is a means-tested income support payment for people who's illness or disability means that they are substantially restricted from doing work that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications. As such, the eligibility conditions for the schemes are different and it would not be appropriate to introduce a system whereby a person was simply moved directly from one scheme to the other on reaching age 16.
The Green Paper on Disability Reform was a consultation document in which the idea of extend the upper age limit for Domiciliary Care Allowance and the lower age limit for Disability Allowance to 18 years of age was one of the issues considered. The Green Paper was withdrawn on foot of stakeholder feedback.
In terms of Domiciliary Care Allowance more broadly, the Programme for Government commits to protecting the Free Travel Pass and examining extending it to children in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance. It also contains a commitment to progressively increasing the Domiciliary Care Allowance payment. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the government and in light of available resources.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
