Travel voucher for public transport to see sick child.

10green bottles

Asking this for a friend.

My friend has a child who is sick in Hospital.She uses public transport to travel to and from the hospital.This is costing her €30 per day.She is a single mother on a CE job.The doctors have said they want to keep the child in hospital for another 10 days at least.She has no family in the area to fall back on for lifts or even to get a loan from.
I remember years ago that in cases like these you could apply to the local health board for help in matters such as these but i'm at a loss as to which department deals with with it(could even be INTREO who deal with it now?)
I have searched around various sites for her but cant find anything.

Any help?

Thanks in advance.

10gb

wokingvoter

She needs to ring her local Intreo Office or SW office if Intreo hasn't been introduced, and find out how and where she can meet her CWO
The St V de Paul might be able to help as well

Balagan

Payment to be requested is the Exceptional Needs Payment from the CWO (now known as Dept of Social Protection Representative).

Exceptional Needs Payments are paid under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. You do not have to meet the habitual residence condition to qualify.

An Exceptional Needs Payment is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. For example, the payments can be for special clothing for a person who has a serious illness, bedding or cooking utensils for someone setting up a home for the first time, visiting relatives in hospital ...

To apply for an Exceptional Needs Payment payment you will need:

Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers for yourself, your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant and your children
Evidence of any income or social welfare assistance you are getting
http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/supplementary_welfare_schemes/exceptional_needs_payments.html

10green bottles

Thanks folks.I passed this info on to her and she has been in contact with her cwo who is sorting something out for her.

Cheers.