# Long Term Illness Query



## JKT (7 May 2012)

My daughter was recently diagnosed with a long term illness (diabetes type 1). As a result she requires insulin injections four times per day. As a PAYE employee, am I entitled to any allowance for providing additional care such as attending school to administer insulin, going on regular trips to clinics etc.

As a Life Assurance policy holder with Serious Illness cover, does it make any sense to claim expenses? Any help greatly appreciated.


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## noc1 (7 May 2012)

I know children with Type 1 DM who have an SNA in school to measure blood glucose and administer insulin. Not sure how you'd go about this. Might be worth posting a question on the Long Term Illness section of boards.ie, which has a long established Diabetes thread. Also worth contacting the DFI if you haven't already.
Best of luck.


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## shazz (21 May 2012)

*how long more do i wait?*

hi,I am 45yrs and in recite of DA used to DPMA since 89. Can you please advise me on ip. i applied in november 2011 and they lost my file. they sent me another application form in April to fill in and said that it would be processed straight away. A week later i got request for my birth cert (I am Irish). and then I got a medical form to be filled in by my doctor. they have received that form also and now i am told it will take up to and at least 16 weeks. I am on a reduced rate of DA because of a maintenance payment from my partner whom is in a nursing home. I am struggling to keep going and i don't know what to do. it was suggested that i would go to a community welfare officer but I just feel they will tell me to wait on my claim? sorry if this sounds so mixed up.


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## gipimann (21 May 2012)

In order to qualify for Invalidity Pension, you must meet the medical criteria (based on the information you sent) and PRSI contribution requirements - which SW will check.

There is a backlog of Invalidity Pension applications as the section is prioritising people on Illness Benefit whose payments are about to run out.

If your DA and Maintenance combined is less than the weekly rate of SWA (currently €186 pw plus €29.80 for each child), you may be entitled to a top-up while waiting on a decision on your Inv. Pension.   Contact the SWA officer, based at your local health centre or SW local office.


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## poorme (28 May 2012)

Hi Jkt.
Sorry to her about your daughter's condition.My 10 year old son is also type1.
My Husband also works but i am entitled to reduced rate carers and house hold benefits for him,I also get DCA and the respite care grant that helps greatly.I was told not to bother even applying for any of these by SW and Citizens advice 
I found out from another forum to just apply anyhow sure all they can do is refuse it so i applied and was granted reduced rate,I was declined full rate so appealed and got the reduced rate so its worth appealing.I have no need for an SNA as he is on 3 injections a day so not needed during school.
Best of luck.

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/IllnessDisabilityAndCaring/Carers/CarersAllowance/Pages/ca.aspx


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## Jano (30 May 2012)

Hi JKT,

My daughter was diagnosed with Type1 also at age 10. You can claim Home Carer's Credit of €810 but only if one parent has an income not in excess of €5,080. A reduced tax credit applies where the income is between €5,080 and €6,700 in the years 2011 and 2012. 

I have claimed telephone expenses of €300 per annum (flat rate) and also mileage at civil service rates for clinic visits. You enter these on your MED1 and get relief at the standard rate. You need to keep evidence of appointments etc in case they are required for verification. This information is available on the Revenue website at http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/it6.html. 

I do know of 1 person who got DCA for caring for their diabetic child but this was an extreme case of uncontrolled blood sugars where parents were up round the clock at night etc testing and correcting and the child spent weeks every year in hospital.


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## maureen (30 May 2012)

hi, not sure if it applies to diabetes, but you may be entitled to 'incapacitated child allowance' , about 3,100 per year.


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## Jano (31 May 2012)

According to revenue's leaflet on this you cannot get incapacitated child benefit for a child with diabetes:

"If the incapacity can be corrected or relieved by the use of any treatment, 
device, medication or therapy, for example, coeliac disease, 
diabetes, hearing impairment which can be corrected by a hearing 
aid, etc. the child will not be regarded as permanently incapacitated 
for the purposes of this relief".

see http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/it18.pdf


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## poorme (1 Jun 2012)

incapacitated child allowance can't be claimed.
Also any carer's payment is taxable.I do claim Home Carer's Credit of €810,But not the other info Jano posted.My Home Carer's Credit of €810 was stopped for 4 year's as my husband was then employed and somehow it allowed me the reduced carer's So it was stopped.But i now have it back  as he is now on illness Benefit.I was awarded DCA no bother but carer's i had to prove the extra care my son needed compared to my other 3 children.


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