473. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to change the current arrangements which stops domiciliary care once a child turns 16 years-of-age; if he will allow this allowance to continue if still in full-time education, until the child turns 18 years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53669/26]

Domiciliary Care Allowance is a non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continuous care and attention, substantially more than what is typically required by a child of the same age.

More than 64,460 families are currently receiving Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of approximately 73,580 children.  The estimated expenditure on the scheme in 2026 is almost €359 million.

Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child turns 16 years of age.  If the young person continues to have a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of up to €254 per week.  To avoid any gap in support, families can apply for Disability Allowance up to 3 months before the child’s 16th birthday.

Where a parent or guardian is also receiving Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit, those payments may continue for as long as the qualifying conditions are met.  Last week, the weekly income disregards for Carer’s Allowance increased to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, the largest ever increase to the means test.  The income disregard for Carer’s Benefit also increased from €625 to €1,000.  The annual Carer’s Support Grant of €2,000 also remains payable where full-time care continues.

Any future reform of Domiciliary Care Allowance will be considered in the context of commitments set out in the Programme for Government and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.