New €360 monthly payment update for 58k Irish parents as social welfare rule extension ‘discontinued' in new decision
A MONTHLY €360 social welfare payment will not be extended for the care of children up to 18 years of age, it has been confirmed.
The non means-tested cash, which is received by 58,416 Irish families, is currently only available for those aged up to 16-years-old.
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The payment was increased from €340 to €360 per month in January
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Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment for children aged under 16 with a severe disability.
However, despite plans to expand the rules of the DCA to include children up to the age of 18, the Minister for Social Protection confirmed that this proposal has been "discontinued".
"Based on the feedback received during the public consultation, the process was discontinued."
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The Minister said that, although the DCA ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16, this is aligned with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance.
However, the Disability Allowance is means-tested, meaning only people earning under a certain amount can qualify.
This is unlike the Domiciliary Care Allowance, which is not means-tested and allows people to qualify for it regardless of their income.
Calleary said: "Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16 years of age. This is aligned with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance.
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"If the young person continues to suffer from a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a
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Those who qualify for Disability Allowance may also get extra social welfare benefits with their payment and other supplementary welfare payments.
DCA stops when the child reaches 16, meaning the last payment will be for the month of the teenager's 16th birthday.
The Department of Social Protection will write to the parent receiving the cash three months before the end, reminding them that the payment will stop and what other options are available.
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If the child is eligible, they should apply for Disability Allowance a few months before they turn 16, to allow time for the application to be processed.
However, those affected have been warned to rememberer that the qualifying conditions are different to those of the DCA.
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 a 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 a child meets the medical criteria:
The history of the case
All medical reports received
The parent/guardians description of the care and attention needed by the child
This means a child is not automatically entitled to DA because they were getting DCA.
The means test for Disability Allowance assesses the means of the child, and the parents or guardians income is not taken into account.
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Minister Calleary also confirmed that there are over 66,000 children whose parents or guardians are receiving the Domiciliary Care Allowance.
He said: "From January 2025, the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance increased from €340 to €360 per month.
"As of March, there were 58,416 families in receipt of the payment in relation to 66,044 children.
"Expenditure in 2025 is estimated at over €301 million. Domiciliary Care Allowance claims have increased over 100 per cent since 2015, with a 50 per cent increase in the past five years."
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