Figures show fall in care allowance refusals

There has been a dramatic fall in the number of applications for Domiciliary Care Allowance rejected by the Department of Social Protection.

However, families receiving the payment for their children have said they are concerned about the possibility of future reviews.

The DCA payment worth €309 to a family every month is made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. In recent years, dozens of families have brought High Court cases against the Department over claims that the decision to refuse the payment was unfair, with more than half of all applications rejected at the initial stage.