Fury over care allowance cutbacks to parents of severely disabled children

PARENTS of hundreds of severely disabled children struggling to meet care costs are to have their Government aid reduced in the latest Department of Health cutbacks.

The Domicillary Care Allowance (DCA), a monthly 179.80 payment to parents of disabled children, will no longer be backdated to the time of diagnosis of the child’s condition. Instead, under revised Department of Health guidelines, it will only be paid from the time a parent applies for the allowance.

Though the cutback comes from his Department, Health Minister Micheál Martin said yesterday he had not been aware of it and would have the matter examined urgently.