Disabled children ‘refused’ benefit payment

Parents of disabled children who need special care are being unfairly denied a welfare benefit by officials who are ignoring doctors’ letters which back up their applications, it has been claimed.

Controversy around the domiciliary care allowance (DCA), which had been administered by the HSE, has been ratcheting up ever since the Department of Social Protection took responsibility of the payment.

Richard Boyd Barrett, who has raised the issue in the Dáil, said he was getting a “constant stream of complaints” that people were being refused if any excuse can be found — even if they meet the criteria laid down.

“Even though they get diagnoses from medical professionals clearly stating that their children meet the criteria and require care and attention or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age, they are refused the domiciliary care allowance.

“If they appeal the decision and can wade their way through the bureaucracy, bang their heads off the wall for long enough, some of the applications may be granted on appeal. The families in question are suffering as a result.

“It seems to be nothing more than a cost-cutting exercise, presumably following the logic that if people are refused over a period of many months, they will eventually give up and decide not to appeal or if they do and succeed in their appeal, the State will have saved itself a number of months of payments while the appeal is being processed.”

One family, whose nine-year-old son Harry was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder last August, was refused the DCA last October. This was despite the fact that he had psychiatric and GP assessments stating he needed “care and supervision substantially in excess of that required by another child of the same age”, as set out in criteria.

Harry needs help eating and dressing. He has a medical certificate stating he has been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. It states he has a severe disability and needs full-time care and attention far beyond what is normally required by a child of his age.

However, the response of the department states: “It is clear from your application that your child requires additional support. However, while the diagnosis of your child’s disability is not in question, the medical evidence provided does not indicate that the extra care and attention required is substantially in excess of that required for a child of the same age.”

Another woman with a five-year-old son who has autism and speech difficulties, and who is not toilet-trained and cannot feed himself, had the payment withdrawn after two years, although a GP had certified that the boy needed care beyond what was required for a child of his age.

According to the department, the DCA is paid to more than 24,000 parents or guardians in respect of 26,000 children at a cost of about €100m. Last year, of 2,420 appeals, 1,259 (52%) had a successful outcome.