# Domiciliary Care Allowance



## Overthehill (25 Jul 2007)

My application for Domiciliary Care Allowance for my child who has Dyslexia has been refused.  I have been informed by the HSE that the guidelines for Domiciliary Care Allowance have changed since March of this year but unfortunately they were unable to tell me what these changes are. Does anyone know if this allowance is paid to parents of Dyslexic children?


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## ClubMan (25 Jul 2007)

Anything useful here or among ?


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## Overthehill (25 Jul 2007)

Thanks but I have already looked at every web site on the above.  Just wondering if anyone has any personal experience of applying for the Domiciliary Care Allowance.  I also have an opportunity to appeal the decision but was wondering how I should base my appeal.


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## CMCR (27 Jul 2007)

You are correct - there have been a few changes to the Domiciliary Care Allowance Scheme since March 2007. 

One such change is that foster care allowance and repayments received under the Health (Repayments) Scheme 2006 are no longer counted as means.  In addition, foster parents can now be beneficiaries of the Allowance. 

As you are probably aware, only the personal means of the child are taken into account when conducting the means test for Domiciliary Care Allowance - not the means of the parent(s).  The means of the child include payments of compensation (for example, following a court action or in respect of injuries or disabilities sustained by the child) and the money is assessed on the basis of the interest obtained.  This annual interest is divided by 12 to give a monthly value which is then deducted from the monthly Domiciliary Care Allowance on a euro per euro basis. 

Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance is determined mainly in reference to the amount of additional care and attention required by the child, rather than to the type of disability involved, subject to passing the means test.  

In assessing an application, the HSE's Senior Medical Officer must be satisfied the child requires continuous care and attention (substantially greater than that normally required by a child of the same age). 

No medical conditions are debarred from Domiciliary Care Allowance but certain conditions (for example, diabetes, epilepsy or asthma) are not normally considered unless there is a very high degree of additional care and attention required by the child. 

You don't give any indication on what grounds your application for Domiciliary Care Allowance has been turned down so it is hard to advise you on what grounds/basis to make your appeal.  

If you wish to post again on the subject I'll see if I can advise, or of course feel free to PM me if you wish. 

CMCR.


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## Overthehill (29 Jul 2007)

Thanks CMCR for your response to my query.  Unfortunately I was not given any details on why my application was turned down.  When I 'phoned I was told that the area medical officer "rejected" my application.  

What more can I say in my appeal? I have explained the "additional needs" my child requires privately as the educational system currently only provide a half hour group session per day in school.  Any help or guidance you can give me on how I can approach the appeal would be appreciated.

Thanks

Overthehill


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## therave (30 Jul 2007)

i believe that the HSE in all of their wisdom have targeted a number of diabilities and your child's is one of these along with a good few others,now you need to have a secondary disability to get the domicillary allowance.
check out this web site www.dyspraxiadcdcork.ie and they have a forum which u can ask a question and mabe somebody can give you a help on lodging an appeal


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