Domiciliary Care Allowance

nowyouresix · 31-08-2012 8:06pm

lionheart: request an interview on appeal, and bring your child. When I applied, I brought my autistic child to the interview, he created havoc in the waiting room, and practically wrecked the office- just the type of stuff he was doing at home, and was accepted.
Good luck

lionheart09 · 01-09-2012 11:26am

hi nowyoursix
thanks for your input i have spoken to my local TD and they have said when i have the letters from everyone that to contact him again and they will request the oral for me and will certainly bring my son as there won't be an office left after we are done

nowyouresix · 01-09-2012 1:27pm

Best of luck lionheart

smelly sock · 03-09-2012 10:28am

Get onto Joan Burtons constituency office as well. Email them and tell them what your gonig through each day. Also get you local td's involved as well.

Most importantly get his therapists etc. to specifically request the dca.

This is exactly what I done after the initial rejection.

Best of luck.

lionheart09 · 03-09-2012 4:43pm

smelly sock wrote: »

Get onto Joan Burtons constituency office as well. Email them and tell them what your gonig through each day. Also get you local td's involved as well.

Most importantly get his therapists etc. to specifically request the dca.

This is exactly what I done after the initial rejection.

Best of luck.

thanks for your advice i will do exactly that i am seeing my own local TD this week and waiting letters from all therapist and doctors so hopefully all will go well fingers crossed

daretodream · 04-10-2012 11:23pm

Jasssss wrote: »

Ah Smellysock thats great.Now dont get me started on the Carers Allowance.I am now on week 30 and was told to add another 12 to that yesterday when i rang.But good luck.

No way. Hv only just applied for CA (hv DCA already) but barely surviving as is.

smelly sock · 10-10-2012 3:24pm

daretodream wrote: »

No way. Hv only just applied for CA (hv DCA already) but barely surviving as is.

Just keep fighting. It's never ending. We eventually got approved for the DCA on appeal after getting letters from therapists etc specifically requesting the DCA. We are now waiting for the carers allowance and are being told of waiting times of up to 45 weeks.

smelly sock · 10-10-2012 3:49pm

Well,

I just just rang the section.

An average waiting time of 24 - 28 weeks for new applications and renewals.

How long are people waiting here?

lionheart09 · 25-10-2012 11:37am

hi all just to let you know been refused domiciliary again but have appealed told i could be waiting over 12 months for decision

STAR2011 · 10-01-2013 12:27pm

Sorry for dragging up an old thread, wasn't sure wherther to this or start a new one!
My sister has an appeal hearing tomorrow for the DCA for her son, can anyone tell us what to expect! As in, is it one person, a board, how long the process will take etc etc.
We have all the info together, consultants reports, doctors reports, letter from school re missing days, pharmacy letter with list of medications etc etc!
Any help would be appreciated

Lady Chatterton · 23-01-2013 4:08pm

There is an interesting article about DCA here, if this lady wins her case it could make things interesting.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/mother-with-autistic-children-challenges-care-allowance-decision-3362415.html

Jasssss · 27-02-2013 5:32pm

What happens when a child that is receiving Domiciliary care Allowance turns 16 but is still in need of care and attention.I have heard of the Disability Allowance and have also heard of people that were refused for their child.Has anyone been through this and can you please advice me.How soon should we apply before my child turns 16 etc.Will the review that is taken place extend the age for domiciliary care allowance to 18?.

lillypopkins · 03-03-2013 12:12pm

Hi jasssss i have applied for the dom care allowance i have sent all reports from enable ireland and doctors do you think this will be enough to get it. When they turn 16 the payment changes to an independant payment for your child obviously you will be dealing with what way its used but i think thats how it works

Jasssss · 03-03-2013 2:46pm

Hi lillypopkins, I was initially refused and then ended up after a year and a half sending in a new application from scratch.My first application included OT reports,Phychologist's reports and many more including the bit from my GP.I was refused on the grounds of medical evidence.It was only when my child was seen by a top consultant and a report was sent in from this person along with a letter requesting that my child be awarded the Domiciliary Allowance that I was granted the Allowance.The time and money I spent getting these reports was a complete nightmare.I do wish you the very best with your application I'm not sure how much weight these OT AND Speech therapist reports really carry it was the consultants report that done it for me. Best of luck again.

lillypopkins · 03-03-2013 4:14pm

I did hear that they are refusing everyone and if that is the case i dont know what else i can do i really cant afford to get more repots the psychologist wrote a detailed page on how much care he needs so hopefuly it might help but im not very hopeful to be honest .thanks so much for the information i will keep ye updated will know in two weeks

thanks

Jasssss · 03-03-2013 5:15pm

lillypopkins, have any of these therapist's and Doctor's actually wrote that it is their opinion that your child needs care and attention above that of a child of the same age.

lillypopkins · 03-03-2013 8:50pm

Yes it is written in the report that he needs extra care and attention compared to another child of his age it also states that he will need to attend a special pre school as he wont be able for mainstream do you think this could be enough if its not i dont know what else i can give them as the team have written everything about him already hope it go through

thanks

lillypopkins · 03-03-2013 9:15pm

it also say that in the opinion of all the team in enable ireland including speech therapist occupational therapist and psychologist that they feel i am entitled to the payment please god it will be ok

Gmol · 04-03-2013 11:21am

lillypopkins wrote: »

it also say that in the opinion of all the team in enable ireland including speech therapist occupational therapist and psychologist that they feel i am entitled to the payment please god it will be ok

Have sent in the letter from Enable Ireland and it was rejected, (which I expected based on what other peoples' experience) am preparing for the review with other letters and further info from Enable Ireland and a breakdown of a typical day, best of luck though be ready to appeal, they don't seem to recognise autism as they regard other disabilities which is a disgrace.

lillypopkins · 04-03-2013 7:35pm

Hi gmol sorry to hear you got rejected what a sad country we live in that dont regard the needs of childrens with autism if my son god forbid had a missing leg he would get it but not with autism which i feel is harder on parents than a physical disability and also on the children . I probably will get refused also i dont know what else i can give them as they wrote ever thing about him on enable irl letter and said he need more care. do you mind me asking is your child going to mainstream school and how long did you wait for decision sorry now its just so frustrating the wait

thanks

Sharon.Willats · 05-03-2013 11:22am

My daughter had a MRI scan as a baby which showed areas of her brain underdeveloped. She suffer from autistic and OCD systoms, oral dyspraxia and behavioural and physical problems. We battled with the education board for three years to get her resource help in school. I constantly phoned her consultants and therapists. We had to pay privatly for an assessment at The Sunflower Clinic, Cork and the education board finally granted her resource hours. My daugher is proof that for some children with special needs, the help at school makes a huge difference.

Take each day as it comes and never give up the fight would be the advice I can give any parent of a child with special needs.

lionheart09 · 05-03-2013 12:57pm

Hi lillypopkins I applied for domiciliary back in June when my son was diagnosed with autism I was refused within six weeks so I sent back letters from all therapist stating he did need far more care than a normal child for a review of my application but I got refused again six more weeks later I have now sent in appeals letter but have done so through my local TD but was told it could take over a year to hear back but I'm not giving up so keep fighting. Good luck. By the way has anyone heard anymore on the Garda women who is taking her case to the high court .

lillypopkins · 05-03-2013 2:36pm

god they should be giving it to parents of children with autism obviously they have no clue as to what is involved in a average day for us if they did we would certainly be awarded it . lionheart have you also sent psychologist report with your and occupational therapist letter when you were refused im just tryin to figure out what else i can get together incase im refused

thanks

lionheart09 · 05-03-2013 4:10pm

Lillypopkins I have senteverything I received for my son when he had assessment of need done. Psychologist, SLT, paediatrician,GP,Social worker all stating that he requires extra care far more than a normal child of same age. Go back to all therapist if your refused and ask for letters stating that your child needs far more care than a child of same age and keep your diary make things worse if you have to but I know you don't as your day is not like an ordinary day as like some mothers. I really do hope you get what your entitled to gods knows you earned it.best of luck

lillypopkins · 05-03-2013 8:08pm

it is awfull because i dont want to rely on this i would love to go to work again but it is not possible at the moment i wish they would take all of this into account when deciding this i dont drink/smoke so the money would be 100 % going to improve his life and make life a little easier please god you get it this time i will keep you informed im due to hear by end of march thanks lionheart09

lionheart09 · 05-03-2013 9:23pm

Thanks lillypopkins keep us up to date please god you get it without having to appeal a friend of mine had to wait nearly a 18 months for her appeal to be dealt with but did get it back dated but it's now you need the financial help not 18 months down the line hopefully I won't have to wait that long like yourself I would love to work again but not possible at this time

Jasssss · 06-03-2013 10:46am

Lillypopkins,I never wanted to apply for the Domiciliary care allowance for my child.I wanted to be out working and wanted to go back to the days that I did work and was mixing with my work mates.I never even signed on the dole in my life.At one stage i was handing out 200 euro a week to therapist's for my son.Now my husband was working and still is but we could not afford this money any more.I had to like many other parents around the country apply for this allowance. So dont feel guilty about this payment because it's for your child that needs it.Keep fighting for your child's right because nobody else will.

lionheart09 · 06-03-2013 12:18pm

Hi lillypopkins just to let you know I have received a letter just now awarding me domiciliary allowance for my son I'm so happy I can't describe how much so don't give up remember I was refused twice and it came good in the end. Best of luck keep us updated.

lillypopkins · 06-03-2013 12:25pm

thankyou jassss i will fight it all the way obviously this medical assessor has no relative or child with autism because if they had i bet we would all receive this first go best of luck to you all hope it comes through for you i will let you know also when i hear . do they just send a letter to inform you then if your getting it /not and as to why they refused .

thanks

lillypopkins · 06-03-2013 12:26pm

ah lionheart i am thrilled for you can only imagine the burden this will take off you and your child great news you got what you deserved in the end x

STAR2011 · 06-03-2013 12:45pm

Not sure if this will help people but my sister had an appeal hearing recently and was awarded the DA for her son. We found it hard to get information on the actual hearing at the time so maybe this will help someone. (I went in with her).

There was only one person at the hearing and the first thing we noted and were told was that the person taking the hearing is not a doctor or a person with a medical background so don't rely on medical info in medical terms because it will make no sense to him/her.

What he focused on was the day to day care of my sisters son and why the care he needed was over and above that of a "normal" teenager. Loads of questions regarding a very detailed examination of when you get up in the morning, typical day, describe your worst day and now your best day. And then had to descibe what the day was like the day before - have this prepared because if it was a good day you will do yourself no favours describing this.

We backed up the claim with a letter from the school detailing how many days missed and how many days he had to leave school to come home due to his illness since September. We also had a very detailed consultant report written in fairly plain English so it could be understood.
Questioned about the qualilty of life my nephew had and the impact on his social skills as a result of the illness and the impact on the rest of the family. He also focused on the adminstration of medicine and who administered it and how often it had to be taken etc etc

The feeling within the interview was - we have refused you this now you need to prove to us we made a mistake.

My sister received word 2 weeks later that the DA had been awarded and the back pay came through two after that.

I hope that helps some of you going to an appeal hearing.

lillypopkins · 06-03-2013 11:43pm

thanks for the information do you know how she managed to get a meeting with them

STAR2011 · 07-03-2013 10:02am

Was refused on first application and requested an hearing when we appealed the decision. Applied April 2012, refused Sept 2012, appealed straight away and had the appeal hearing in Dec, her first payment and back money was received 2 weeks ago.

ladsmammy · 14-03-2013 2:45pm

Hello, here is my story so far. My son has ADHD, dyslexia, SPD and a history of self harming

Sept 2012 sent original application. Included everything I had, all reports, diary detailing everything we do

Oct 2012 letter to say that claim was denied on medical grounds so I rang to request a review

Nov 2012 letter to say review was denied so I contacted my local TD and we sent an application to the appeals office. Got
a letter from them within a week to say they had received the appeal

Feb 2013 rang the appeals office to see where it was and was told that they were still waiting for the file to be sent from the DCA section. Rang the DCA section to see where the file was and was told that it was waiting to be looked at before it was send over to the appeals office

Mar 2012 rang the appeals office to see where it was and was told that they were still waiting for the file to be sent from the DCA section. Rang the DCA section to see where the file was and was told that it was waiting to be looked at before it was send over to the appeals office

The file should be looked at in the next 2 weeks and then if refused again will be sent to the appeals office.

That means that 3 different people will have looked at it in the DCA section. I think this is a total waste of time and money and they seem to be justifying their jobs. Why have 3 people to look at 1 application ???

picturehangup · 14-03-2013 4:46pm

Hi,
This seems to be the way it is going. My son who has ASD and all the accompanying 'dyses' in the book, is going through the precise same thing in relation to his application for DA. This is shameful and negligent of the DSP. I too have been going from Billy to jack in roundabouts and circles. This is a money-saving exercise designed to frustrate parents in the hope they will vanish into thin air.
They are telling everyone it will be'looked at in two weeks;' I have heard that so many times in the past few months. They told me yesterday it would now be 6 months, as there is 'no doctor' to review the file. All a string of lies.
Next step for me is legal action. Deciding Officers will not take calls, rude officials, see the FLAC report. A process not fit for purpose according to Ombudsman. Three people to look at one application, is because the first two were probably only so called 'desk assessments, hence they were unqualified Doctors, as happened in my case.
Hope you get good news soon.

Picturehangup

lillypopkins · 14-03-2013 8:40pm

im due to find out end of march but im not holding out much hope even tho we got very detailed reports from early intervention team will keep you informed did it just take a month for you first refusal sept-oct the wait is 8 weeks ive been told its with the medical now and they waitn to hear back the lady was very nice on the phone but im sure that means nothing

lillypopkins · 14-03-2013 8:43pm

also have any of you been granted the home tuition grant or are your children in main stream school i was told this will come through very quick and that its nothing like the wait for dom care grant thanks any info would be great

lionheart09 · 14-03-2013 9:36pm

Hi. Lillypopkins just to let you know that after I received my letter awarding doms last week I sent it straight to the carers section and have received letter granting me carers from next week. I sent carers and doms application in together but got refused carers because didn't have doms but when I got awarding doms to get back to them so I did I got it back after a week. Best of luck to everyone that's applied and keep fighting

lillypopkins · 15-03-2013 8:43am

Hi thanks for the info i have already applied for the carers also and have been told the same as that if i get dom awarded then my carers wont be far behind so fingers xd . great that you got it i know how much it will mean if i get it so i imagine your thrilled to finally have it in order thanks alot

Kate1968 · 15-03-2013 8:13pm

Hi.
My son is a student of second year in IT Sligo. He was diagnosed as an adult with ADD. I am on Back To Education Allowance and our incomes are very poor. Can he claim for Disability Allowance? What other benefits can we get? It is very hard for us to live now, we have euro 342 a week for three of us. Can my partner apply for Carer Allowance? If someone have knowledge about ADHD or ADD and how it works with Social Welfare I will be very appreciate.

lillypopkins · 15-03-2013 8:35pm

is he over 18 as far as im aware he is entitled to disability allowance did u receive a payment for him until he turned 16 /18.dom care or any other payment if you ring the disability section they will explain all to you thats what i did if he lives with you full time then you may be entitled to carers as the new rule states you have to live under the same roof .how many hours is he at college a day all this matters you can also get your full social wellfare payment plus half rate carers eg;dole single parent etc if you get carers you get respite grant in june plus all the household extras i would ring them they very helpfull and will tell you the requirements .best of luck he is a qualified adult so he should be getting his own payment now hope this helps

Kate1968 · 15-03-2013 8:43pm

Thank you very much for your reply. My son is full time student and he lives with me. I never got for him payments. He was diagnosed a few days ago as an adult with ADD. Do I need to work and leave my work to get carers allowance? Can my partner claim for carers allowance? I am on Back to Education Allowance and have two adults dependant. I will start Internship in one month but we will still have the same income of euro 342.
Thank you very much for quick reply. It was really very helpful.

lillypopkins · 15-03-2013 9:28pm

no problem , no you dont need to work at all to qualify forcarers but you must not be attending any course or working for any more than 15 hours a week as you must need to be caring for him the rest of this time i think for him to claim himself is probably what will work as he attends college i dont think they will pay carers so dont quote me on that you should ring them 1890927770 ... found this piece of info on the disability allow might hep ..This Allowance is paid to a person with a disability over the age of sixteen. If you are in receipt of the Domiciliary Allowance and your child reaches his/her sixteenth birthday, the Department of Social Welfare, Disability Section will automatically send you an application for this benefit. This benefit is paid weekly, usually by bank transfer to the account of the person with the disability. It is approximately €185.00 per week. If your child was not in receipt of the Domiciliary Allowance up to the age of sixteen, he/she can apply for this allowance in their own name. Any new or fresh application should be accompanied with all the relevant documentation such as reports from consultants, doctor’s reports, clinical and educational psychologist’s reports. The person with ADHD/ADD receiving this allowance must notify the Department of Social Welfare should they gain employment on a temporary, part-time, fulltime or permanent basis. The Department will adjust the payment in relation to other earnings.

lillypopkins · 10-04-2013 6:59pm

I was awarded the domi care allowance today so happy got it 1st go and dont have to go thru an appeal

Kate1968 · 10-04-2013 9:28pm

CONGRATULATION!!!! This is really big step. I hope my son will get disability allowance in a few weeks. I am also not sure about it because 70% of applications are put down. Finger cross!

ladsmammy · 10-04-2013 9:47pm

Oh well done. Mine was refused and is now gone to appeal

lillypopkins · 11-04-2013 4:27pm

thanks all its a huge worry gone now ladsmammy please god u get it soon i think the report i got from enable irl got it for me they wrote so much info onit about him keep pushing for it

lionheart09 · 12-04-2013 6:50pm

lillypopkins wrote: »

I was awarded the domi care allowance today so happy got it 1st go and dont have to go thru an appeal

Hi lillypopkins
Congratulations on getting your doms great news for you and your family and the relief that comes with this. I feel so better since I was awarded a month ago and have been able to provide more for son. I hope everyone else that have applied get a good outcome also because it get very stressful waiting for this.

lillypopkins · 13-04-2013 1:24pm

i was so stressed with the wait and money was tight im so happy now can see a better future for my son with less stress thanks lionheart i know how you feel i danced when i recieved mail last week , hope you all get good news soon x

Busybee4 · 13-04-2013 11:17pm

Hi all! Just applied for dca for son (5) with autism, am in receipt of it for daughter (6) with epilepsy since june 2012, and carers since jan 2013 (took 53 weeks for that!) just wondering how waiting times are this year?
From reading through posts re. Autism it seems most are refused unfortunately, would love a medical assessor to spend 12 hours in my house!!

Domiciliary Care Allowance

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