Domiciliary Care Allowance

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability.

DCA is not means-tested, so you may qualify for it regardless of your income.

DCA is not based on the type of disability your child has. Instead, it is based on their level of physical or mental impairment. Your child must need ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above what is usually needed by a child of the same age.

You can read more about what severe or substantially means in the DCA Medical Guidelines (pdf). The Department of Social Protection (DSP) uses these guidelines when assessing applications for DCA.

DCA medical card scheme

All children getting DCA can get a medical card without a means test.

If your child does not already have a medical card or GP visit card, you can:

• Register online using the HSE website, or
• Download the HSE’s paper registration form (pdf)

If your child already has a medical card or GP visit card, you don’t need to register.

To get Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), your child must have a severe disability that is likely to last for at least a year, and:

• Be aged under 16 (see ‘What happens when my child reaches 16’ below)
• Live with the person getting the DCA for at least 5 days a week (there are some exceptions to this – see ‘Living at home’ below)
• Meet the medical criteria (see below)
• Be ordinarily resident in Ireland

Also, the person getting DCA for the child must:

• Provide for the care of the child
• Be habitually resident in the State.

Medical criteria

The law says to get Domiciliary Care Allowance, a child must have "a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention, substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age".

This means your child’s eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability or illness they have, but on the level of care and attention they need as a result. They must need this care and attention for daily living and for at least 12 months.

The Department's Medical Assessor looks at the following information before deciding on whether your child meets the medical criteria:

• The history of the case
• All medical reports received (your GP fills out a medical report, and you should include reports from any relevant specialists)
• Your description of the care and attention needed by your child. (The application form lets you explain what extra care your child needs under a number of headings, such as personal care; communication; behaviour; safety; and sensory issues).

Living at home

To qualify for DCA, the child must live at home with the person getting the allowance for 5 or more days a week.

However, DCA may be paid where:

Parents are living apart

DCA may be paid where parents share the full-time care of their disabled child, but live apart. For example, where separated parents have joint custody, but the child doesn’t live with either parent for the required 5 continuous days each week.

In this case, DCA is paid to the parent who is nominated in writing by both parents, or to the parent who is getting Child Benefit for the child.

Child attends residential care

You may get a half-rate DCA payment if your child is in residential care and goes home for 2 days or more a week. For example, a child who attends residential services from Monday to Friday and goes home at weekends.

Children who are being cared for on a full-time basis in residential homes or other institutions are not eligible for DCA.

The Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) rate is €340 per month.

You will get your DCA payment on the third Tuesday of every month for the current month.

Caring for more than one child

There is no limit to the number of children for whom you can claim DCA. This means, if you are caring for more than one child who qualifies for DCA, you can get the monthly allowance for each child.

Hospital stays

You can continue getting DCA for up to 26 weeks, in a period of 12 months, if your child is in hospital getting medical treatment (or other treatment) of a temporary nature.

If your baby stays in hospital for medical treatment immediately after their birth, you can get DCA for up to 18 months while they are in hospital. This applies to babies born on or after 1 January 2023 only.

Other payments

You can get Child Benefit with Domiciliary Care Allowance.

You can also get the annual Carer's Support Grant, which is paid automatically in June.

You may qualify for Carer's Benefit or Carer's Allowance if you meet the criteria for these payments. If you are getting DCA, you don’t need to fill in the medical report part of the form when applying for Carer's Allowance.

To apply, fill in a Domiciliary Care Allowance application form (Dom Care 1) (pdf).

If you can’t download the application form, you can:

• Have the form posted to you by the Department of Social Protection
• Collect a copy from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office, or local Citizens Information Centre

You should complete Parts 1 to 5 of the form.

Your child’s GP or specialist should fill in parts 6 and 7 (the medical report) of the form.

Include any reports and other information about your child’s disability, and the impact it has on their care needs.

Optional extra medical form

If your child has a Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), you can ask the medical professional (or specialist dealing with your child) to complete an additional medical form called DomCare3 (pdf).

PDD refers to disorders characterised by delays in the development of social and communication skills. It includes:

• Autism
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
• Rett’s Syndrome

This form is optional, because medical professionals may have already given a detailed report on your child’s medical condition and care needs. However, if you do not have a recent report from your child’s medical professional, the DomCare3 form can be useful.

The completed form will:

• Explain your child’s conditions
• Cover any specific care needs your child might have as a result of their disability
• Help the Department’s medical assessor decide on eligibility.

Appeals

If your application is refused, you can appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. You must appeal within 21 days of getting the decision.

DCA stops when your child reaches 16, so your last DCA payment will be for the month of their 16th birthday.

The Department of Social Protection will write to you 3 months before your child’s 16th birthday to remind you that DCA will soon stop and tell you about the available options.

Disability Allowance

At age 16, your child can apply in their own right for Disability Allowance (DA). DA is a means-tested payment for people with disabilities who, as a result of their disability, are substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications.

The qualifying conditions for DA are different from the qualifying conditions for DCA, so your child is not automatically entitled to DA because they were getting DCA. The means test for Disability Allowance assesses the means of your child, and your income is not taken into account.

Your child should apply a few months before they turn 16, to allow time for their application to be processed.

Carer’s Allowance

Your entitlement to a Carer's Allowance will only be stopped where, on review, it is decided that your child no longer needs full-time care and attention. Your Carer’s Allowance may be reviewed at any time to make sure you continue to meet the criteria.

You can visit your local Citizens Information Centre, Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office to speak with someone about your entitlements.

Send your Domiciliary Care Allowance application form (Dom Care 1) (pdf) and supporting documentation to: