Children who qualify for the Domiciliary Care Allowance will no longer have to fight for a medical card.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has promised that medical cards will automatically be granted to more than 11,000 sick and disabled children as part of the Programme for Government.
A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home.
Speaking about the Bill, Minister Harris said:
“Families all around the country are caring for about 30,000 very sick children. They currently receive Domiciliary Care Allowance but one-in-three do not get a medical card. I am extending this to include 10,000 more children in receipt of the DCA who will be provided with a medical card.”
“From then on all of these children will be provided with a medical card without having to go through means testing, once they are in receipt of the Domiciliary Care Allowance.”
“I hope that not having to worry about applying for a medical card will help these families in some small way.”
Minister Harris said the money would be confirmed in the Budget in October, with children set to receive the medical cards in early 2017.
Will your child benefit from these changes? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.
