Department of Social Protection

Please see the below supports provided by the Department of Social Protection which may be of assistance to Autistic people and their carers.

Domiciliary Care Allowance

Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for a child with a severe disability. The payment is not based on the type (diagnosis) of disability. It is based on the impact of the disability.

To qualify for the Domiciliary Care Allowance:

your child must be under 16
the mental or physical disability must be severe
the disability must be likely to last for at least one year
your child must need ongoing care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age
your child must be resident in the Irish State
your child must live at home with the person claiming the allowance for five or more days a week.

All recipients of Domiciliary Care Allowance qualify for the Carer’s Support Grant in June of each year.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/30fac9-domiciliary-care-allowance/

If you applied for the Domiciliary Care Allowance, and have received a decision from Department of Social Protection that you think is incorrect, you can make an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. For further information, please see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/ce66b1-how-to-appeal-a-decision-about-your-social-welfare-claim/#list-of-schemes-you-can-appeal

Disability Allowance

Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people aged 16 to 66 with a disability.

To qualify for Disability Allowance, you must:

have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year
be substantially restricted from doing work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of your age, experience and qualifications
be aged between 16 and 66. When you reach 66 years of age you no longer qualify for Disability Allowance, but you are assessed for a State Pension.
satisfy a means test (a test of your income and any income from your spouse or partner, and the results will be used to work out your rate of pay) and habitual residence conditions.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/df6811-disability-allowance/

If you applied for Disability Allowance, and have received a decision from Department of Social Protection that you think is incorrect, you can make an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. For further information, please see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/ce66b1-how-to-appeal-a-decision-about-your-social-welfare-claim/#list-of-schemes-you-can-appeal

Carers Allowance

Carer’s Allowance is a payment made to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.

You may qualify for Carer’s Allowance if you meet these requirements:

you are 18 or over
you live with or are able to provide full-time care and attention to a person who needs care and who does not normally live in an institution. However, you may continue to be regarded as providing full-time care and attention if you or the person being cared for is undergoing medical or other treatment in a hospital or other institution, for a period not longer than 13 weeks.
you are not working, self-employed, or on a training or education course for more than 18.5 hours a week. (Note: you must show us that the person you are caring for has adequate care while you are working, on an education course, or both)
you are habitually resident in the Irish State
satisfy a means test for the Carer’s Allowance (a test of your income and any income from your spouse or partner, and the results will be used to work out your rate of pay)
you live with or are able to provide full-time care and attention to a person who needs care and who does not normally live in an institution
you do not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution

The person you are caring for must be:

over the age of 16 and so incapacitated as to require full-time care and attention or
aged under 16 and getting a Domiciliary Care Allowance

A person is regarded as requiring full-time care and attention when:

they are so incapacitated as to need continual supervision to avoid danger to themselves or
they need continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions and
they are likely to require full-time care and attention for at least 12 months
if the person you are caring for goes into a nursing home on a full-time basis, payment of the allowance may continue for a period of 12 weeks. A letter from the nursing home confirming date of admittance should be submitted to the department.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/2432ba-carers-allowance/

Carers Benefit

Carer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person(s) in need of full time care. It is payable for a period of 2 years (104 weeks) for each care recipient and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of 2 years (104 weeks).

You may qualify for Carer’s Benefit if you meet these requirements:

you are over 16 years old
you have been employed for at least eight weeks, whether consecutive or not, in the previous 26-week period of commencing Carer’s leave
you are/were working for a minimum of 16 hours per week or 32 hours per fortnight within the previous 26 week period. You do not have to meet this condition if you were getting Carer’s Benefit in the previous 26 weeks
the care recipient must have a disability that meets the full-time care and attention requirements as set out in section 99 [2] of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
the maximum you earn is €350.00 a week after taxes (the maximum you could earn prior to 2 June 2022 was €332.50)
you must not take part in employment, self-employment, voluntary work, training or education courses which accumulate to more than 18.5 hours a week.
you do not live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution
you meet the social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions
being a full-time carer means you must be living with, or in a position to provide full-time care and attention to, a person who needs care. The care recipient cannot live in a hospital, convalescent home or other similar institution

You may be able to get Carer’s Benefit if you care for a child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). You do not have to be the person who gets the Domiciliary Care Allowance for the child to be the child’s carer.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/455c16-carers-benefit/

Carers Support Grant

The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care. Carers can use the grant in whatever way they wish.

You automatically qualify for the Carer’s Support Grant if you get Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA).

If you are not getting any of these payments, you may still qualify if you meet these conditions if:

you are 16 or over
you ordinarily reside in the Irish State
you care for the person full time
you have been caring for the person for a continuous period of at least six months, and this period includes the first Thursday in June
you live with the person you are caring for or you are contactable quickly by a direct system of communication such as a telephone or an alarm.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/16220307-carers-support-grant/

Long-Term Carers Contribution

Long-Term Carers Contribution Periods make it easier for a carer to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) when they reach pension age. Any period in which you are registered as providing care to an incapacitated person can be included in your pay-related social insurance (PRSI) record.

If you have cared for someone full-time, you can apply for these contributions. You can be awarded a Long-Term Carers Contribution on your PRSI record for each week that you provided full-time care to an incapacitated person. These periods can only be used for State Pension (Contributory) once you have reached a minimum of 1040 weeks (20 years).

For further information on how to qualify, please see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/16642-long-term-carers-contribution-periods/

Work and Access Supports

Work and Access is a set of seven specific supports to help people with a disability to get a job, or to help those already employed to stay in work. The supports are aimed at jobseekers, employees, the self-employed, and employers. The supports aim to remove or reduce barriers in the workplace for people with a disability.

The seven supports include:

Workplace Needs Assessment Grants of up to €2,500 are available to enable people with a disability or health condition to identify the supports they need in their workplace to do their job.
Workplace Adaptations Grants of up to €25,000 are available to support employers with funding to adapt their business premises for an employee or future employee with a disability.
Work Equipment Grants of up to €12,000 are available towards personalised assistive equipment or technology for people with disabilities working in the business premises or working remotely.
Personal Reader funding is available to assist people who are blind or visually impaired with work-related reading.
Communication support which funds help with job interviews, job inductions, in-work meetings or performance reviews.
In-Work Support funding is available towards a work coach or specialist support to help a person with a disability to do their job or re-train if they move to another position.
Disability Equality and Inclusion Training funding is available for employers with a paid workforce to train all their staff on disability and inclusion.

For further information and eligibility criteria, please see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/47db8-work-and-access-supports/.

Free Travel Scheme

The Free Travel Scheme allows you to travel free of charge on all public transport owned by the State. Free travel is also available on a limited number of services operated by private bus transport companies. Private bus transport operators that have opted in to the Free Travel Scheme accept free travel cards. (You should contact the department to check whether your private bus operator accepts Free Travel Cards.)

If you are in receipt of Disability Allowance or the Carers Allowance, you may be entitled to the Free Travel Scheme.

In some cases, if you are unable to travel alone you may be able to apply for a Free Travel Companion Card. This card allows a companion to travel with you for free. You will need to complete a ‘Under 70 Companion Free Travel’ application form, which includes a medical report.

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/9bba61-free-travel-scheme/

Household Benefits Package

The Household Benefits Package (HBP) helps towards the costs of your electricity or gas bills. It also includes your television licence. Only one HBP is payable per household.

You may qualify if you are under 66 and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension or Carer’s Allowance (if you are living with the person you are caring for).

For further information, see – https://www.gov.ie/en/service/e87d27-household-benefits-package/#