Only half of autism care allowances handed out
Wednesday November 18 2009
Just half the applications for a care allowance for parents of children with autism have been granted in a six-month period.
And for parents whose children have Asperger Syndrome, the figures are even more bleak: less than one third were eligible.
New figures show that 2,430 applications for domiciliary care allowance were submitted to the Department of Social and Family Affairs from April 1 to October 9. Some 1,688 cases were processed by the Department, but only 633 were awarded, while 1,055 were ineligible.
A spokesperson for the Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland said: "Parents are living under a lot of stress, both psychological and financial and this certainly would be a matter of great concern for us."
Ms Hanafin said that in order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child "must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age."
mlavery@herald.ie
- Michael Lavery
