Domiciliary Care Allowance
€380 a month at the full rate. €190 a month at the half rate. Paid on the third Tuesday of each month. Not means tested.
Last checked September 2026
What it is
A monthly payment for a child under 16 with a severe disability who needs care and attention well beyond what a child that age usually needs, expected to last at least 12 months. It is not means-tested and is assessed on the impact of the disability, not the diagnosis. There are two rates and the second one is easy to miss. The full rate is €380 a month, where you care for the child at home five to seven days a week. The half rate of €190 is for two to four days a week, which covers a child in residential care who comes home two or more days a week. So a child who attends residential services Monday to Friday and is home at weekends still brings a payment, which a lot of parents assume rules them out. A child in full-time residential care does not qualify. If you care for more than one child who qualifies, you can claim for each child. If DCA is being paid in June you also get the annual Carer's Support Grant (€2,000). Every child DCA is paid for is entitled to a medical card that is not means tested, which you register for with the HSE. DCA is also the route into Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit for a child under 16. The payment stops the month of the child's sixteenth birthday, and the department writes to you three months beforehand. They can then apply in their own right for Disability Allowance, but the conditions are different, so it is not automatic and it needs its own application. Both you and the child must be ordinarily resident in Ireland. The test is the care the child needs, not the diagnosis. The Department's guidelines say it is not possible to say whether any particular condition will qualify. They also say that care needs do NOT meet the test where they relate solely to bringing a child to school, to social activities or to helping with homework. So a child whose only difficulty is dyslexia or dyscalculia, needing help with schoolwork, is very unlikely to qualify, while the same child with additional needs might. Each case is assessed on its own facts.
Who can get it
- Your child is under 16 and has a severe disability, so they need a lot more care and attention than a child of the same age. This is expected to last at least 12 months
- The child normally lives at home with you at least 5 days a week for the full rate. A child in residential care who comes home two or more days a week can get the half rate. Full-time residential care does not qualify
- You and the child are ordinarily resident in Ireland and you meet the habitual residence condition
- If you are separated and share the child's care under a joint custody arrangement, DCA can still be paid. It goes to the parent you both nominate or, if you do not nominate one, to the parent who gets Child Benefit
- It is judged on the care your child needs, not on the diagnosis. Nobody examines your child, so the written description of their care needs matters most
- Payment starts from the month after your application arrives. It can only be backdated up to 6 months for good cause. Not knowing about the scheme does not count, so apply as soon as you think your child qualifies
- Your application will not be processed until the Department has the DCAMed1 medical form, so get that done first
- The payment stops in the month of your child's 16th birthday. They can then apply for Disability Allowance, which has different rules and needs its own application
- A baby born since 1 January 2023 who stays in hospital straight after birth can get DCA for up to 18 months while in hospital. A child admitted for treatment can keep DCA for up to 26 weeks in any 12 months
How to apply
Apply online on MyWelfare with a verified MyGovID. You can also use the paper form Dom Care 1. Either way you also need the medical form DCAMed1, filled in by your GP or specialist. A specialist's report on form Dom Care 3 is optional. If you are refused for lack of medical evidence you can ask for a review once you have new evidence. You can also appeal within 60 days.
Go to the official page →Checked against the official source on 27 September 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.
Questions people ask
Does my income affect Domiciliary Care Allowance?
No. It is not means tested and there are no PRSI conditions.
Does an autism diagnosis mean my child will get Domiciliary Care Allowance?
Not on its own. The Department says it cannot say whether any condition will qualify. It looks at the extra care your child needs compared with a child of the same age.
What happens to Domiciliary Care Allowance at 16?
The last payment is for the month of your child's 16th birthday. The Department writes to you three months before. Your child can then apply for Disability Allowance, which has different rules.
Can I get Carer's Allowance as well as Domiciliary Care Allowance?
Possibly. For a child under 16, DCA being paid covers the condition on the child's side and you do not need a separate medical report. Carer's Allowance has its own means test and other rules.
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