Rise in grant refusals for autistic children

THE number of parents refused a grant towards the cost of caring for a disabled child has almost tripled since the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DoFSA) took over the scheme from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

New figures show one in five applications were turned down in 2008 when the HSE was administering the scheme. This jumped to six-out-of-10 between April 1 and May 22 this year, after the DoFSA took over.

The Irish Progressive Autism Alliance (IPAA)/Shine Ireland believes changes to the manner in which children are assessed for the Domiciliary Care Allowance has led to higher refusal rates.

When the HSE administered the scheme, children were individually assessed by a HSE medical officer who decided whether they were entitled to the care allowance.

According to Kieran Kennedy, spokesman for the IPAA, the refusal rate was nil among children with autism.

However, since the department took over the onus is on the parent to submit written ‘evidence’ of their child’s disability, which is then assessed by departmental medical assessors. The allowance is now awarded based on a study of this evidence, rather than an examination by the department of the child.

Fine Gael TD Dave Stanton, who raised the matter in an adjournment debate to the Dáil, said there was no question that since the scheme was transferred from the HSE many children who previously would have received the allowance are being refused it.

“This is particularly the case with regard to children suffering from autism and mental disabilities,” Mr Stanton said.

Mr Stanton said the higher refusal rates amounted to a “stealth cut” and he called on Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Hanafin to reinstate the HSE assessment process.

Fianna Fáil Labour Affairs Minister Dara Calleary has written to Ms Hanafin asking her to review the “new arrangements” for awarding the Domiciliary Care Allowance “and the manner in which the medical criteria seem to be excluding children with autism”.

A statement from the DoSFA said an expert medical group had decided the most appropriate way for the department to conduct assessments for medical eligibility was by assessing evidence submitted by the claimant rather than by way of individual examination by the department’s medical assessors “as unlike the HSE they are not involved in advice or treatment of the child”.