Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
and the Pensions Board is available on the Department’s website at
www.welfare.ie/EN/AboutUs/Pages/stateagencies.aspx and is updated as required.
Question No. 320 withdrawn.
Social Welfare Benefits
321. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason she gives notice
to recipients of domiciliary care allowance to reapply only two months ahead of the cessation
date when currently her Department takes five to six months to consider new applications; and
if she will make a statement on the matter. [7863/12]
327. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a natural transition
does not occur for benefits of a child (details supplied) with Autism who’s parent is receiving
domiciliary care allowance to receiving disability allowance at the child’s 16th birthday when
the diagnosis has not changed nor have the means of the family; and if she will make a statement
on the matter. [7901/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): I propose to take Questions Nos. 321
and 327 together.
Since November 2011, recipients of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) have been given 4
months advance notice in writing of their child reaching 16 years and the end of the payment
of DCA. They are advised that their child may be entitled to receive a disability allowance
(DA) payment in their own right and of how to make such a claim. Prior to November 2011,
the notice period was 8 weeks, but this was adjusted to advise customers to make application
for DA well in advance of the child’s 16th birthday.
The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative
complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria of the scheme. The average time to
award a claim in 2011 was 17 weeks. Disability allowance section is currently undertaking a
major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes
applications from customers which should lead to faster processing times.
The qualifying conditions for DCA and DA are significantly different and as a result, an
automatic transfer from one payment to the other is not feasible. The qualifying conditions
include a means test on DA where none applies to DCA, while there are also differences in
the medical criteria applicable to the two schemes. In addition, payment of DA is made directly
to the child, whereas DCA is paid to the parent/guardian of the child.
Question No. 322 withdrawn.
Social Welfare Benefits
323. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a method established
within her Department for streamlining representations on applications for exemptions
being made on behalf of persons with disabilities in respect of an organisation (details
supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7866/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): In certain circumstances people who
have been in receipt of illness benefit or invalidity pension were granted permission to engage
in part-time work of a rehabilitative or therapeutic nature. This permission is known as an
exemption. All applicants for an exemption have some form of a disability or medical condition
and as such they would be considered on their own merits. Applications for exemptions are
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